Out of Whack
by Meleiyu
Summary: Axel could never fall in love properly. Heck, no one ever loved him back once they discovered his secret. And the thought of being rejected by his fiancé didn't help either. There was no way Axel could escape from his dilemma. Axel.Roxas/AU/OOC/Crack-ish
1. Falling for a Freak

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts or its characters…and frankly I never will.

**A/N:** I know I'm horrible for putting up yet another story, but I just had to write this! I was inspired by **Ranma ½ **and probably a bit of **Beauty and the Beast**. This probably won't update as frequently as my other fan fictions, so there's your warning. If you don't like weird crack-like fan fictions, I don't want any flames or whatever…just turn away.

For those of you who are willing to read this, and have open minds, I hope you enjoy the first chapter of **Out of Whack.**

Word count: 8905

A special thanks to **Kuraieshi** who is my crazy little beta.

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**Out of Whack**

It sucked horribly. Being cursed for six years straight had kept Axel distant from hundreds and hundreds of people, guys and girls. Dating people was a difficult thing for him. Axel was always afraid of being treated like a freak, so he often tried his best to avoid going out with others. Plus, it wasn't fair that Axel was the **only** one who had his heart broken in the past.

He didn't mind making friends, but that was when he was a…different person…

Reno, the redhead's idiotic father, was the sole reason why he couldn't live a normal teenage life. That man just happened to swindle a witch of some sort and Axel conveniently paid an ultimate price. It was despicable and redhead's lifestyle was never the same again…

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**Falling for a Freak**

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"I **still** can't believe you kept this from me for two years!" Kairi grunted noisily as she dragged both her heavy suitcases along the busy street. Her sharp emerald eyes pierced the man in front of her and everyone who passed by gave her strange looks. But all of them were completely ignored. She didn't give a damn about the passer byers because she was too irritated with a single man. "How could you just throw me into an engagement and keep it a secret from me…for two long years?! And you even had the **nerve** to tell me about it yesterday—right before we moved out!"

"I said I was sorry…" Reno whined childishly as he quickened his pace, trying his best to avoid his 'daughter's' icy glare.

"You think it's really that simple?! I'm **engaged** and I don't even know what my fiancé looks like! Why didn't you tell me I was engaged earlier?!" Kairi's booming voice quickly drew everyone's attention. There were hushed conversations all around and many people eyed Reno for being an irresponsible and insensitive parent.

"_I knew we should have taken a taxi or just hitched a ride with the moving truck!"_ his mind hissed stupidly as he slapped his own forehead with the palm of his free hand.

Eventually the chattering around him became louder, which conveniently brought him back to reality. "Move along, people…" Reno rolled his eyes and scoffed at all the spectators, so they did as they were told. Sighing, the man whirled around on his heels to find his daughter walking further and further away from him. "W-wait!" Reno quickly caught up to Kairi and grabbed her shoulder. "I'm really sorry for not telling you earlier…I just didn't want you to make a big deal out of it—"

"Of course it's a big deal, you stupid old man! I'm getting married to some—to some stranger!" Kairi shrieked as she yanked her shoulder away from her father's hand. How could it not be a big deal? She was engaged for such a long time and she didn't even know about it. The young redhead had every right to be upset and she openly expressed her thoughts and feelings without hesitation.

"It's for your own good. Believe me. My friend is doing us a big favour," Reno stated in an encouraging voice as a wide smile danced across his lips. "Son, you're going to get married to his youngest child one day." He declared it in such a casual manner, like it wasn't even a big deal. But his _son_ suddenly relinquished both her bags and her teeth clenched. Kairi tried her best to absorb those words but her brain wanted to reject them instantly.

A young boy nearby suddenly pointed at Reno and whispered to his mother. "Why did that man call that girl 'son'?" Kairi glanced over at the noticeable child with a surprised expression plastered on her face.

The boy's mother smiled apologetically in the redhead's direction and then turned to her child.

"Hush now. Don't say such things." The woman snatched her son's wrist and quickly strolled away with him to avoid any more embarrassment.

Anger suddenly built up in Kairi's system. She snatched up her bags and stomped forward in a monstrous manner, quickly catching up to her irresponsible father. "Watch what you say out in the open! It's like you're publicly announcing my secret!" she hissed quietly through her gritted teeth.

Sighing, the older redhead placed a hand on Kairi's head. "Yes, yes, I'm terribly sorry. Well anyway, don't let the engagement bother you too much. I'm sure Roxas will love you as much as you'll love—"

"Are you insane, old man?! I don't want you to force someone to love me!" She shouted viciously while chucking her old house keys at Reno's head, making him yelp at the stinging pain.

Kairi's eyes suddenly widened at an alarming thought and she quickly clutched her father's shoulder while he rubbed his throbbing head. "Wait…does he know about my curse?" She muttered it calmly so no one else could hear it, only Reno would. The thought of her fiancé knowing her secret sent shivers up her spine.

Reno stared at Kairi with an unreadable expression and it made her swallow loudly. She truly feared the upcoming response. "It would be best if he found out from you," he answered quietly with a more serious face.

"He won't love me once he knows what I am…" The younger redhead sighed and sulked in depression. This curse…this sick curse…it was all her father's fault for trying to deceive an old woman. Kairi, or Axel rather, had to take all of the damage. "My life is already miserable...don't make it worse…please…"

The older redhead scratched the back of his neck and chuckled nervously, trying his best to ignore the pessimistic words. "You know, I heard Roxas is very smart, charming, funny—"

"Are you even listening to me?!" Kairi shrieked as she carelessly dropped her luggage and punched her father's left arm. No matter how many years passed, the young redhead could not believe the shameful situation she was in—and she wasn't thinking about the engagement. It was a curse that was inflicted on her at the age of thirteen. Her predicament was utterly ridiculous, humiliating, and unreal—**definitely **unreal!

Reno waved his hand lazily as he advanced forward. Arguing with his daughter wouldn't do him any good. "Of course I'm listening to you, honey—"

"I told you not to call me that…" Kairi hissed in a low and dangerous tone. She hated being treated like a girl, especially by her own father. _"Stupid bastard…"_ she thought to herself spitefully as she stomped ahead of a wincing Reno.

"Don't be so sour, Axel. We're almost there…" Reno tried his best to sound playful and kind at the same time. It wasn't a very smart idea, nor was it even comforting. In fact, it was a terrible combination. It just made Kairi feel even more aggravated than she already was.

"I thought we agreed not to call me that in daylight…" Kairi muttered, her lips slightly pursed from frustration and anger. Why couldn't she just have a normal life?

Kairi couldn't even fall in love properly…heck no one ever loved her back once he or she discovered her sick secret. What would her fiancé think of her? Would he reject her wholeheartedly…?

The thought elicited a lengthy sigh from Kairi. _"Why do I even try…? No one could ever love a freak like me…"_

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The rest of the trip was completely silent. Kairi had surrendered and realized her father was not going to change his decision on the engagement. And even if she tried arguing with Reno, he was only going to reply optimistically in order to avoid conflict. Damn him for being so relaxed…

Eventually they arrived at a large detached house with a blue roof on top. It was the only one in the neighbourhood that had a different coloured roof, so it immediately captured Kairi's eyes. The moving truck was sitting in front of the driveway and two men were carrying some small appliances into the house.

"A moving truck wasn't really necessary, dad…" Kairi said in a sardonic tone as she approached the large white vehicle. Inside were all her belongings; like her dresser and her bed. Why was it necessary to put more junk into someone else's home? She blinked and then pointed at the truck and the house. "Wait, are we living here temporarily or—"

"Nope. We're going to be one big, happy family. Forever and ever and ever and ever…" A blond haired man from the front door chuckled humorously at the dumbstruck redhead. He walked down the steps and greeted Kairi and Reno with a welcoming smile.

"It's been a while, Cloud." Reno grinned as he gave his friend a light, but friendly punch on the shoulder.

"Reno, it's great to see you again!" The man quickly glanced down to find a bitter redheaded girl glaring at him. "And this must _Kairi_!" Cloud sounded like such a cheerful and friendly man, but unfortunately Kairi was the complete opposite.

"It's a pleasure." She greeted him coldly as he placed her bags on the ground and crossed her arms strictly over her chest. This man was just as 'evil' as her father. How could Cloud willingly give up one of his children for marriage anyway?

"_What the hell did my old man do to make this Cloud guy agree to this arrangement?!"_ There were so many more questions contaminating the girl's mind, but this one somehow seemed more important.

The blond hummed to himself for a moment as he studied the sour little redhead standing in front of him. "Wow, she's a frosty one…" he finally said, after Kairi twitched impatiently from the utter silence. "What did you do to her, Reno?"

Said man released a very weak chuckle as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously. He made an effort to avoid Kairi's death glare at the same time. If she could shoot laser beams out of those threatening green orbs, Reno would definitely be on the ground…twitching. "I told her about the engagement just yesterday." With those words said, the blond's ocean blue eyes widened in complete shock.

"Well, she has every right to be…um…frosty." Cloud nodded awkwardly and took a shaky step back; afraid that the young redhead was going to severely injure him. "I told Roxas about the arrangement the day we set it up…"

Kairi exhaled noisily and grabbed her suitcases again. This conversation wasn't going to do her any good. "Can I just go to my room and unpack, please?" She groaned as she walked passed her father and Cloud.

"Wait; make sure you have your ring!" Reno called out urgently, making the younger redhead stop in her tracks. Somehow she couldn't believe her father remembered it…

"I have it, I have it…it's not something I'm willing to lose." Kairi sighed as she pulled on the chain around her neck. After drawing it out, she revealed the ring to her paranoid father and smiled weakly. "Now can I go to my room?"

Cloud nodded at the question. "Yeah, my kids will show you where your room is. Just make yourself at home." The blond turned back to Reno with a scolding face. While walking up the front steps, Kairi silently prayed that her father would be lectured for his carelessness.

The redhead strolled into the house and huffed as her eyes wandered around. This was going to be her new home for God knows how long. _"At least it's clean and spacious…these guys must be well off,"_ she mentally noted. After glancing around for another few minutes, the redhead realized her legs were trembling from fatigue. Sitting on the couch seemed like such a relaxing idea, especially since she spent most of the afternoon walking to her new home. The closest couch was in the living room which was conveniently close to the front door, so she started shuffling towards it.

Suddenly the redhead was jumped by two blondes and she let out a surprised yelp as she fell to the ground. Kairi groaned painfully as she glanced up at the two giggling girls hovering over her. One of the girls had countless braids and the other had a very peculiar hair style. She looked like an oversized ant…except with blonde hair and a freakish grin plastered on her face.

"Oh, she is so gorgeous! It's too bad she doesn't _dress_ like a chick!" One of the blondes cupped the redhead's face and examined her stunning features. Kairi's skin was so flawless and soft; the other two were already envious. "She would look really hot with some make up on." Unfortunately for them, Kairi didn't use cosmetics and she was simply wearing a checkered red and white button-down shirt with short sleeves along with loose beige pants.

"This one definitely belongs to Roxas! He'll be so happy to know you're here!" The blonde with braids laughed as she hugged the confused redhead with joy. "I'm so jealous! You look so sexy even with tacky clothes on!"

Was that a compliment or an insult…?

"W-who the heck are you two?" Kairi demanded somewhat nervously as the two ladies continued assaulting her body. One was practically measuring her waist and the other was examining the size of her breasts. It was utterly humiliating to be analyzed like that, but Kairi was afraid to protest against them. Who knew what they were capable of?

"Larxene, Rikku, leave her alone." Another blond sighed in exasperation as he entered the living room. The boy had spiky blond hair and gorgeous ocean blue eyes. Kairi studied the boy's overall appearance for a moment and sighed to herself.

"_So, this is the boy I'm marrying…? He's so short…"_ She swore she would mutilate her own father for this. First, he didn't tell her about the engagement and now she had a diminutive fiancé…okay, so she exaggerated a little.

The two blondes started whining at their younger brother and they continued running their hands over Kairi's body, making her flinch and squeal at the unusual touches. "H-hey! I would appreciate it if you stopped groping me!" the redhead managed to hiss.

But of course, they chose to ignore the demand and continued on with their little activity. "Come join us, Roxas. Her body is so—"

"That's enough!" The boy scowled as he pulled on his sisters' arms, freeing the redhead from harassment. "You shouldn't pester our guests like this…at least not her…" They glared childishly at him, but Roxas ignored them and turned his attention towards Kairi.

The slightly annoyed and flustered redhead stood up from the ground and pulled down on her wrinkled garments. Her saviour stared at her with worried eyes when she looked up. Smiling at the blond haired boy, Kairi silently thanked him for his assistance. "S-so you're…Roxas, right?" she began anxiously, earning a sharp, positive nod from the blond. "My dad mentioned you yesterday…and today as well. So you're supposed to be my—"

"Fiancé," he finished with a wide grin as he offered a hospitable hand. The redhead accepted it immediately and gave it a warm shake. "You're Kairi, right? I wanted to meet you for such a long time." Roxas chuckled softly as he gave Kairi's hand a playful kiss.

The redhead blushed abundantly and almost pulled away from the sudden gesture. No one ever kissed the back of her hand before. This boy was quite the gentleman. "I-I'm very flattered…" the girl said timidly as she hung her head and stared at her hardwood floor.

Roxas gently tilted her chin up with a few fingers and smiled kindly at her flushed features. "I'm glad. You know…Kairi is a really pretty name." Said girl tried to turn her head away to avoid falling for the blond's kindness. But it was futile; she was already captivated by his spellbinding eyes. Kairi silently cursed her feminine qualities. Why did girls develop crushes so quickly?!

"Oh, Roxy is already flirting with the new girl!" Larxene teased as she poked her younger brother's arm. Rikku squealed immaturely as she joined in.

"Well…she **is** his fiancée after all." Cloud interrupted his daughters' fun as he entered the room with Reno. The moving truck outside seemed to have disappeared and the furniture was moved into some rooms on the second floor. All the appliances were left in the half empty dining room for the time being.

"I can't believe she's actually living with us!" Roxas stated cheerfully as he released Kairi's chin. It was obvious the boy adored the idea of an arranged marriage and that immediately made Kairi's heart drop. She knew she was going to let him down and shatter his happiness.

"Isn't she charming?" Cloud chuckled nervously as he approached the group. Hopefully Kairi was in a better mood now because the blond feared the murderous glint in her eyes from earlier.

"She seems kind of bashful, actually," the younger blond admitted, a wide smile still fixed on his lips. Roxas secretly hoped he charmed her with his kindness and gentleman-like gestures. Kairi was just so gorgeous and perfect in his shimmering eyes; he was glad she was a cute girl.

"Really now?" Reno arched an eyebrow at his child, who immediately averted his gaze. "Kairi never seems shy if you ask me…"

"Really? But it makes her cute." Roxas' straightforward compliment forced a blush on Kairi's face. It made Reno grin like an idiot because it was rare to see his 'daughter' blush like a real girl.

"Roxas, did you offer her any refreshments? She looks exhausted," Cloud said as he examined the redheaded girl. A light cough came from Reno which made the blond laugh. "Why don't we all just have tea and cake then?" The younger boy chuckled at the older men for a moment. He then turned to his fiancée and apologized for being so impolite, but she forgave him without a second thought.

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Kairi decided to follow Roxas into the kitchen to keep him company. Perhaps she could learn more about her fiancé at the same time because Reno obviously did not give her enough information…nor did he ever give her a photo.

"So your dad just told you about me yesterday?" the blond suddenly asked with a pout visible on his face. He made it obvious that he was disappointed. Roxas knew of Kairi's existence for two years straight, but Kairi **just** heard about him?

"I'm sorry. I was really surprised when I found out and I feel really bad about all this…" she answered with guilt lacing her soft voice.

The blond simply shrugged as he fished out some teacups from the cupboard. "It's no big deal," he said in a casual tone, trying his best to seem calm and collected in front of the redhead. "We have plenty of time to get to know each other." It was nice to hear he was an optimistic person, but fear still pulsed in Kairi's blood. Rejection was always a painful thing to experience and she silently wondered how Roxas was going to take the truth. After that thought she glanced down at her watch and sighed to herself. _"Five o'clock…only another hour until—"_

"Tea or coffee?" the blond asked, bursting her silent thought.

"Tea, please," Kairi replied with an innocent smile. She sat on one of the chairs and placed her hands on her lap.

"It's great that we're living together now." Roxas turned his head to hide the crimson blush on his cheeks while he filled the empty kettle with tap water. Having Kairi in the house made him so cheerful; his heart pumped rapidly inside his chest. "If we're the same age, you might be placed in my class at school!" That way he could keep an eye on his lovely fiancée and he can prevent people from flirting with her.

"That would be great!" Kairi exclaimed, feigning happiness. She couldn't help but feel nervous. Roxas' energetic behaviour almost made her feel sick to her stomach.

After the blond plugged the kettle cord into the outlet, he sat down next to Kairi and took her soft hand. "So tell me about yourself."

The girl hummed thoughtfully for a few seconds. "I moved twice this year…I…like going outside once in a while, though I prefer staying indoors for personal reasons."

"Really?" the blond interrupted with wide eyes. "I was hoping to hang out with you." The disappointment in his voice made the redhead cringe. Oh, what could half a girl do?

"I don't mind hanging out with you. I just want to be at home by the evening." Kairi quickly explained as she shook her hands in front of her.

Roxas released a sigh of relief. For a second he thought Kairi was just trying to avoid spending time with him. "Okay, let's go out tomorrow after school. I'll take you to the nearest mall." He really wanted to call it a date, but he didn't want to freak her out right away. Heck, the girl just met him.

"Sounds great!" Kairi clapped both her hands together enthusiastically. Some part of her mind wanted her to tell Roxas the truth. Kairi wasn't exactly who the blond thought she was.

"I'll show you around the house after tea and cake." The blond stood up from his chair and shuffled over to the fridge. Seconds later he pulled out a strawberry shortcake from the lower rack and then he smiled brightly at the redhead. "You have no idea how hard it was to keep Larxene and Rikku away from this." He laughed as he placed the cake on the counter. Kairi giggled softly at the information. At the same time she inwardly cursed her girlish laugh because it sounded so ridiculous.

The kettle screeched loudly, interrupting their fun and making them both jolt at the harsh sound. "I'll get it," the redhead offered generously.

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Roxas carried the tray of cakes into the dining room while Kairi carried the tray of tea. Larxene and Rikku were both giggling to each other about pointless things while Reno and Cloud were catching up.

"Oh, looks like our little couple came back to us." Reno made immature kissing gestures and sounds, earning low growls from both Roxas and Kairi. Even the young blond was embarrassed by his soon–to-be father in law.

"Dad, you're so immature!" the girl whined as she slapped the tray onto the table. Reno definitely enjoyed watching his daughter freak out. It was so unusual, but utterly amusing especially since she had a wild blush on her face.

"Of course, honey. Now can you pass me the teacup closest to your left hand?" Reno stealthily pointed at his daughter's wrist watch instead of the cup itself. She cocked an eyebrow at him and then gazed down at her left hand.

"O-oh!" Kairi's eyes widened at her discovery; it was already five thirty. And her wrist watch continued ticking quietly.

"Do you want me to bring it over?" Roxas placed his fingers on the teacup closest to his fiancée's left hand. Before he brought it over to Reno he carefully studied Kairi's pale face. "Are you…all right?"

Slowly, the girl nodded at the question. "I-I'm all right, just tired. Is it all right if you show me to my room? I'd like to just shower and then sleep…" She kept her voice as steady as possible, but she couldn't deny the fear inside of her. What would Roxas think of her if he found out the truth?

"Y-yeah, of course…" Nodding, the blond placed the teacup in front of Reno and then strolled into the living room to grab Kairi's luggage. The redhead gave her father a nervous frown, but he gave her a supportive smile. Seconds later she turned away from everyone and followed her fiancé up the stairs.

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"This is your room. Sorry it's…really, _really_ pink, but that was Rikku and Larxene's doing." Roxas carefully placed the suitcases in next to the bed which was lazily set up by the movers. Secretly he was thankful the room was a pastel pink instead of an electric pink. "You can always repaint it if you don't like it."

As reassuring as his words were, Kairi was still fidgeting nervously. Every thirty seconds or so she glanced at her wrist watch, begging for time to freeze. "I-it's fine, thank you." Her voice was shaky and her face was still pale.

Roxas gave her a worried look as he brushed the red locks out of her face. "Are you sure you're all right? You're face seems really…" he paused when she blinked and looked up, seeming alarmed.

"Yes, I'm fine. You should go—get to know my father! I can see you tomorrow morning—"

"Kairi, it's only what, five forty-five? What's wrong?" Roxas gently caressed her face, making her even more anxious than she already was. His kindness…his gentle words…they were going to disappear within the next fifteen minutes if Kairi didn't force him out.

"I-I just…I just like sleeping early. Please understand…" The excuse was so pathetic; Kairi thought her fiancé was going to laugh at her or even interrogate her. But to her surprised the blond just nodded, though hesitantly.

"If you say so…" He leaned forward and courageously planted a kiss on Kairi's cheek before he turned away, smiling at his success.

Shocked, the redhead blushed deeply and placed a hand on the warm spot. Her mouth quivered for a moment and she wished she could just apologize to her fiancé—just apologize for everything…

"Get some good rest then, Kairi. I'll see you tomorrow morning." Roxas sounded so positive, so reassuring; the redhead was afraid of losing all his wonderful traits already. As the blond started walking down the stairs again, Kairi sighed to herself. Depression just welled up inside of her.

"_If only…if only I could tell him the truth now…"_ The thought made her wince. She could imagine Roxas scowling at her and rejecting her for being a freak. Quickly, the redhead dove into her suitcases and drew up a set of large pyjamas. She shuffled out of her new room and into the bathroom, which was close to her relief. Glancing down, she noticed she only had five minutes remaining, and it made her heart beat rapidly. A part of her was thankful Roxas wasn't around anymore.

Kairi quickly closed the door behind her and sighed exhaustingly as she unlatched her wrist watch. Placing it in front of her face, she blinked at the object a few times and gazed at the ticking hand, mesmerized. _"Just another minute or so…"_ The girl heaved another sigh as she dropped the watch onto the counter next to the sink. She removed all her clothes and waited for her body to return to its original form.

It was strange, but the day felt long and almost unbearable. And it was going to be like that for God knows how long. There was no way she could keep it a secret from Roxas forever. He was probably going to discover her sick curse within the next few days.

When it was six o'clock, the redhead's entire frame started changing—well, growing to be more specific. Within seconds the girl's hair grew longer and the colour brightened. It even curved upwards a little and stiffened, forming crimson spikes. Her legs and arms grew longer, and suddenly her chest was flat and muscular. After another few seconds, 'Kairi' had turned into a tall male; her original form to be exact. _Axel Fujiwara._

He coughed hoarsely to clear his throat. "I always hate it when my voice changes so much…" he muttered to himself while slicking some of his crimson hair back. It _always_ felt strange to grow taller…lose the breasts…become a man again…But Axel supposed he was used to it. Staring at his reflection in the mirror, the redhead frowned sadly. _"Roxas…could never love me…not like this."_ The ring dangling from his neck then twinkled under the light and caught his attention. It was a treasure to him; something he always protected and kept around his neck so no one would take it from him. Axel pressed his fingers against it and heaved a sigh. _"One day…" _he mentally told the ring, _"if someone will ever accept me…"_

Shaking away his thoughts, the redhead turned to the bathtub and started the water. _"Hopefully a shower will help me relax…"_

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Roxas returned to the dining room with a grim face. He was hoping to spend more time with his fiancée, but she apparently chose to avoid him. It was six in the evening; why would she sleep so soon?!

"Is Kairi all right?" Rikku asked with a concerned frown. The entire room was silent when Roxas sat down in one of the chairs. With a delayed nod, the boy sighed and sunk in his seat. He reeked of depression.

"What's wrong then?" Larxene asked after she placed her teacup on the small plate. Everyone kept their eyes on Roxas, wondering what exactly happened between him and redhead.

"It's only six in the evening and she wants to shower and sleep already…I think it's a sign…" The boy buried his face in his arms as he leaned on the table. What a horrible day it was for him. Two years of waiting and he already messed up everything…or so he thought. But still, his stomach clenched at the thought of being hated by his lovely fiancée.

Reno cocked his head to the side and chuckled at Roxas' reaction. "Actually, that's her normal…_sleeping_ time…" he said craftily, a small smirk present on his lips. Technically he didn't lie because at six o'clock Kairi was gone…

"Who sleeps that early?" the boy asked as his eyebrows rose.

"She has her reasons." Reno shrugged nonchalantly while playing with his fork. If he told Roxas the truth, Axel would make sure he regretted it.

Cloud tapped his plate with a fork to get his son's undivided attention, though he could have just coughed into his fist. "Why don't you give Reno the registration forms from school? Kairi should start tomorrow…"

"O-oh, right, they're in my room." Roxas bolted up from his seat and quickly ran up the stairs. As soon as he reached his room he looked around, hoping to remember where he placed the registration forms. On his bed were a set of white bath towels and the blond immediately slapped his own forehead. _"Damn it, those are the guest towels!"_ Kairi was so going to hate him for this…

Disregarding the registration forms, the boy grabbed all the guest towels and rushed to the bathroom feeling utterly embarrassed.

"Kairi, I forgot to set up the guest towels earlier. If you could just go behind the shower curtain or something I'll drop these off," Roxas called out as he knocked on the door. But there was no answer at all. The blond cocked an eyebrow and knocked once more, but again there was no response. _"That's weird…the lights are on."_

He assumed no one was inside so he simply walked into the bathroom to find a naked redheaded man trying to climb into the bathtub. The blond's ocean blue eyes widened in absolute horror and he immediately dropped the towels and shouted loudly.

"W-wait," the redhead quickly tried, but it was too late. The blond punched him in the face and knocked him over.

"Dad, a freaking nude broke into our house and did something to Kairi! Hurry up and call the police!" he screamed frantically as he pinned the intruder to the ground with all the strength he had. "What did you do to my fiancée?!"

"R-Roxas, you don't understand!" the redhead yelled out as his body squirmed for release. He totally ignored the bruise forming on his cheek. _"Damn it, he's crushing the ring into my chest!"_

"How the hell do you know me name?!" the blond shrieked as he pressed the older boy's head against the rug. "Are you a stalker? A pervert? A freaking wanted pedophile?!" The boy wouldn't let his guard down for a second. And he was strong even though his frame was small.

Still, the pain was driving the redhead insane. Quickly, with all the strength he could muster, he flipped the boy off and pinned him down, earning a loud shout. "Roxas…" he breathed slowly, waiting for the blond to look up. And when Roxas did, his eyes widened at the naked boy bridging over him. "Listen to me, please—"

"Dad, it's a rapist! A rapist broke into our house!" Roxas shouted frenetically as he writhed and struggled beneath the redhead. Larxene and Rikku quickly dashed into the bathroom and blushed profusely at the sight of a naked, but handsome male bridging over their own brother. "Don't just stand there gawking at us! Help me or get out of the way so I can kick his jerk off me!" Roxas scowled indignantly at his sisters for being completely useless. He continued struggling but to his discontent, the redhead didn't budge.

"Roxas, stop! Don't hurt him!" Cloud quickly yelled out as he pushed passed his flushed daughters. They only blinked when they heard their father, but their eyes were still glued to Roxas and the mysterious boy.

Reno rushed in seconds later and snorted at his son's highly suggestive position. If only he had a camera. "Axel, I didn't think you were ready to go all out…I mean, Roxas **just** became your fiancé."

"Shut up, you jerk! He barged in after I finished showering and I can't exactly respond to him with this voice without him freaking out on me anyway!" Axel stood up and grabbed one of the towels on the ground to cover his exposed body parts. The blonde sisters sighed dreamily at his well built body and handsome features, but Axel quickly inched away to avoid harassment.

Roxas finally sat up, feeling completely lost and somewhat violated. Nothing made sense to him, but apparently Axel wasn't the rapist he thought he was. Wait. "Why did you call me his fiancé? I'm engaged to Kairi aren't I?"

"Axel **is** Kairi, Roxas…" Cloud sighed, scratching the back of his head. "Reno told me the whole story before you two even got engaged. I just didn't want to tell you yet."

"I'm not stupid dad. Kairi is a girl and this Axel person is a guy…" the boy said, using a sarcastic tone. Half the people stared at Cloud with mystified expressions and the other half knew exactly what was going on.

Ignoring his son, Cloud continued the explanation. "Kairi was definitely the girl you met earlier, but really, she's a guy." He cleared his throat with a cough. "Axel was hexed six years ago so he…kind of changes genders from time to time…"

Roxas snorted at his father's ridiculous and unbelievable words. "This sounds so stupid…and very unlikely."

"But it's true…" Axel groaned as he buried his face into his hands, wishing he could just die on the spot. Roxas gaped at him, his features completely distorted due to shock. "From approximately six in the morning to six in the evening I'm a girl…and from approximately six in the evening to six in the morning I'm a guy." The two girls were completely shocked by Axel's confession, but Cloud was unfazed.

"Is that…why Kairi asked to go to shower and sleep early?" Roxas questioned with a very dry mouth. He didn't want to believe it, but somewhere inside he was starting to.

"Yes," Axel answered bluntly and he placed his hands on his hips. "I wouldn't have been discovered for an entire evening if you didn't come into the washroom…"

"Wait, so how does this curse thing work?" Rikku questioned the entire story after her mind returned to reality. It was just too fantastical, like something found in a children's story book.

"In order to break this curse I need to give this ring to the person who is willing to spend the rest of his or her life with me." He undid the chain around his neck and presented the ring attached to it. The band was shimmering silver and the rock in the middle was a transparent diamond. It almost looked like a wedding ring—very fitting…

"So, you're using me?" Roxas questioned through his gritted teeth. Everything was suddenly coming together in the boy's mind. Axel's curse, the arranged marriage; Roxas felt like a tool.

Axel bit the bottom of his lip and didn't know what to say because none of this was his fault in the first place. Reno was the one who dragged him out of his house and pulled him into Roxas' home. Everything was so chaotic.

Before the blond haired boy could continue his complaint, Rikku snatched the ring and squealed excitedly. "This is so gorgeous!" Larxene nodded enthusiastically in agreement.

Axel's face scrunched up as he tried retrieving his treasure. For six years he prayed nothing bad would happen to it, but now Rikku was _playing_ with it. "D-don't put it on or anything! I'm not sure what it—"

"Well duh, of course I'm not going to put it on." The redhead sighed in relief and wiped the sweat off the side of his head. At least the girls had _some_ sense…Not!

"It belongs to Roxas!" She giggled and grabbed her younger brother's hand. Axel gasped in horror when Rikku slipped his precious ring onto Roxas' middle finger. The boy yelled at his sister and tried pulling away but it was already on. "Wow, it looks nice on you!"

"Rikku, what the hell was that for?!" Roxas tried yanking it off but it was stuck. It was as though it tightened around the boy's finger. "I-I can't get it off!" he exclaimed as he swung his hand around in attempt to remove it, but it didn't even budge. The rock in the middle shimmered and suddenly it was baby blue.

"W-what do you mean you can't get it off?!" Axel cried out desperately as he tried removing it with his own strength. Unfortunately, it was futile. The ring itself was enchanted and it tightened around the blond's finger on its own will. Axel and Roxas were now bound together.

"How could you let this happen?!" The boy cried out as he viciously slapped Axel's arm.

The redhead glared down at the stinging pain and hissed indignantly. "Listen! It was my dad who got me into this mess and it was your sister's fault for slipping on the ring!"

"So, what, I **have** to marry this she-man now?!" Roxas screamed his face flushed red from both anger and embarrassment.

Axel eased his tense muscles and looked down guiltily. Those words were pretty harsh, but the redhead understood why the blond was so upset. "In order to remove it you have to fall in love with me or fall in love with someone else…" he muttered uneasily. The redhead knew the answer already, but it's not like he wanted to hear it.

"I'm not marrying into this!" Roxas blurted out, making Axel's heart drop. No matter how many times the redhead was rejected, it always stung his heart. He knew no one could ever love him, but that never meant words didn't hurt.

"I figured as much." Axel pushed passed everyone, biting his lower lip. He wanted to shed tears and for that he cursed the remaining female hormones in his system.

"He's more sensitive than you kids think. There's always a bit of Kairi lingering in him after he changes back…" Reno sighed as he strolled off, hoping to find and comfort his son. He knew he was going to be lectured later.

"Poor, Axel. You totally broke his heart…" Larxene clicked her tongue in disappointment as she pressed her hands firmly against her hips. "What if he never finds true love?" Roxas flinched at her tone and felt guilty for being so harsh. It really wasn't Axel's fault at all, and the blond just didn't know how to blame Reno.

Rikku frowned dejectedly and felt terrible for playing with Axel's ring. Now she couldn't even give it back. "He must have been terrified as Kairi…" she whispered in awe. "I bet she wanted to run away…I know I wouldn't want to be completely rejected like that."

"W-why didn't you tell me about this before?" Roxas turned to his father with a grim expression on his pale face. His fingers fumbled against each other out of anxiousness. He wanted to apologize to Axel, but he didn't want to marry him. Either way, the redhead was still going to be rejected.

"I didn't think you were going to react like this…Reno and I decided that Axel was going to tell you himself one day. It's only fair." The man groaned and ran his hands over his face for making such a stupid mistake. "I thought you were mature enough to deal with this. You were always a sincere kid…"

Rikku and Larxene both nodded in agreement. Roxas hunched his shoulders and glared at his sisters. He couldn't believe his entire family was staring down at him.

Cloud sighed as he rustled his son's already messy hair. The man wasn't angry, just disappointed. "I didn't think you were going to upset him when you discovered his secret." Oh, how wrong he was…

"Truthfully I thought you were perfect for him." Roxas caught the shame in his father's voice, but he almost didn't care.

"Look, I overreacted, but that's reasonable. And dad, he's actually a guy, not a girl. Why didn't you give him to Larxene or Rikku?" The blond asked in a more calm voice.

Cloud scoffed immaturely at the question as he walked out of the bathroom. "He's a girl during the day…Besides, Axel is gay." Larxene and Rikku exited the room as well, nodding confidently at their father's words. That sounded about right.

"How the heck do you know that?!" the blond screamed with wide eyes.

Cloud groaned and ran his hands over his face for a second time. He wasn't frustrated, but explaining it all at once was quite difficult. "Axel **only** dated guys…you know? As Kairi, he can't exactly attract girls during the day…"

"But I'm not—"

"Oh please, you've never even dated anyone before!" Cloud scoffed. "I've been told Axel's a really sweet guy! You should give this relationship a chance!—In fact, I'm not breaking this engagement until you at least give Axel a chance!" Oh, Cloud definitely felt confident about his decision. His son was about to learn some valuable lessons.

Roxas' expression was a mix between shock and fear. He never liked a boy before. He **only** had a crush on a cute girl in fifth grade…but still! How could his father do something like that to him? "Dad, you're setting me up with a complete stranger," Roxas reasoned shakily.

"Well, that's how some engagements work. You might learn to love him if you get to know him, Roxas." The boy opened his mouth to retort but Cloud prevented him from doing so. "Stop acting like a child. I mean, you like Kairi. She and Axel are the same, so learn to accept it." Cloud heaved a sigh after he turned off the bathroom lights.

Roxas pinched his arm and hoped everything was just a sick dream. He released a painful yelp, but nothing changed to his dismay. _"I can't believe this…"_ The boy picked up the remaining guest towels and hung them on the small rack next to the bathtub. He dragged his feet on the ground as he walked towards Kairi—or Axel's bedroom. Hopefully a sincere apology would make up for everything. Before his knuckles could reach the door, Roxas heard two voices inside the room.

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"What am I doing here, dad?" Axel hissed quietly as he slipped on his pants. The entire room was rather quiet, but then again there were only two people. Truthfully the young redhead wanted to be alone. Consulting his father wasn't going to benefit him…

"I thought your engagement made it obvious." Reno sat on the edge of his son's bed and heaved a heavy sigh. Somehow he knew this conversation was going to be exceptionally long.

The younger redhead threw his towel aside and glared at his father. The coldness in his emerald eyes did not make Reno flinch. "He hates me, dad…couldn't you tell by his eyes and his tone of voice? I'll be ruining his life…" Axel explained softly, his eyes slightly narrowed. He buttoned up his night shirt and fixed his hair.

Reno pulled Axel down to the bed and rubbed his back soothingly. "I don't think he hates you. He was probably just shocked when he discovered your secret. I know you didn't want him to find out that way."

Axel shook his head and looked down on the ground, almost ashamed of his existence. "Even…even if I fall in love with him …he won't ever love me back. I already **know** this, dad. I don't want to have false hope or get hurt again…It's not fair to him or me."

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Roxas quietly walked away from the door and entered his room. After hearing Axel's soft, but sad voice he couldn't help but silently beat himself for being so insensitive. He picked up a picture frame on his desk and studied it carefully. It was a photo of Kairi; the one his father gave him the day his engagement was announced. Roxas realized that hurting Axel was the same as hurting Kairi…and he really _did_ like Kairi. _"Are they really the same person?"_ It was still unbelievable.

The ring on his finger twinkled, making the boy sigh. _"We're bound together…"_ he told himself numbly. Everything was happening so quickly. Roxas didn't want to be bound to Axel or Kairi because of a ring…

Setting the photo aside, the boy slumped onto his bed and pondered to himself. _"What would you say about this, mom?"_ He stared at the sunset from his transparent balcony door and sighed. _"Would you scold dad for putting me in such a position? Or would you scold me for being a heartless jerk towards Axel?"_ He released a frustrated groan as he smothered his face into a pillow. The answer was pretty clear; he really was being a jerk…

Roxas cleared his mind and turned his head exhaustedly. He had a feeling his brain was being burnt out from all these thoughts. With the remaining energy in his system he tried approaching the situation more calmly. "If I fall in love with Axel…then it will be the same as falling in love with Kairi. The same person…only in two different bodies…" He whispered as his eyes fluttered shut. Even though he wanted to comprehend everything it was just too overwhelming. His mind just wanted him to relax.

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A few hours later, the blond snapped his eyes open when he heard something creak. He bolted into a sitting position and rubbed his dry eyes. Roxas looked outside and realized it was already night time, and he mentally slapped himself for letting himself fall asleep. Another creak made his ears twitch. _"What __**is**__ that?"_ A quiet groan escaped from his lips as he got off his bed and opened the door to his balcony. A cool breeze welcomed him as he stepped outside. When he turned to his rooftop he noticed a figure steadily walking along the tiles.

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Axel sighed as he walked along the rooftop of his new home. The entire day was exhausting and his fiancé practically hated him. "I didn't mean to take him by surprise…" he muttered quietly, wishing he could just rewind time.

The wind blew against his crimson spikes as he sat down on the roof tiles. The silent breeze was so relaxing and peaceful; Axel loved the feeling. He looked up and admired the moonlight because it always reminded him that he was a male. Night time was the only time he was allowed to actually be himself after all. The remaining female hormones were barely affecting him.

"Kai—Axel?" a nervous voice came from behind. The redhead nearly jumped when he heard Roxas. He quickly turned his head to find the blond climbing up from his balcony.

"Here to tell me I'm disgusting? That I'm not capable of being loved?" the redhead questioned somewhat defensively. His emerald green eyes reflected his pain and it made Roxas swallow thickly, feeling even **more** regret if that was even possible.

The blond's heart clenched when he cautiously took a seat next to his fiancé. "I'm…sorry for overreacting. I-I didn't…I shouldn't have said such horrible words. I'm sorry…"

A moment of silence lingered in the air as Axel stared at the blond with dilated eyes. Honestly he was expecting loud words of abhorrence and disgust. "Thank you…" He whispered as a tear escaped from his eye. Being a female for six years definitely made Axel softer and a lot more sensitive.

"Whoa, whoa, don't cry, Ka—Axel!" Roxas quickly grew frantic and he shook his hands in front of him. He didn't want his fiancé to shed tears, not like this at least. _"Oh, man what should I do?!"_

Chuckling softly the redhead nodded and wiped away his tear with the palm of his hand. "It's…it's all right…No one has ever apologized for saying mean things to me after they discovered my secret…"

"Why?" the blond asked stupidly.

"Because…I'm…different—abnormal…" A freak…Yes that was the more practical term.

Roxas said nothing when he looked down. He felt terrible for hurting Axel in the first place and his heart experienced a strange pain. The ring glistened under the moonlight and it attracted the blond's attention. He couldn't believe it was literally attached to him, but somewhere deep inside he didn't mind it. _"I wonder what the colour means…"_

"I'm sorry about that," Axel said pointing at the ring.

Roxas shook his head and chuckled. "It's not your fault. I'll just have to kill my sister later." The two exchanged silly smiles and then stared up at the full moon. The redhead felt grateful for having such a kind fiancé, but he still felt guilty. No one should be bound to someone they don't love.

"So if I fall in love with you—hypothetically speaking…" Roxas began with a huff, making Axel's lips twitch, "your curse will break?"

"That…is what the _witch_ said when she gave the ring to my stupid old man…" The redhead pressed a finger against his bottom lip.

"You said…I could fall in love with someone else. What happens then?" the blond inquired out of curiosity. The situation was out of the ordinary and Roxas just wanted to know more. It seemed like a fictional story come to life. The blond's mind kept saying he was talking to Kairi…Axel and Kairi were the same…

"The ring will shatter…and I will remain cursed until my life ends. That's why I **always** kept it close to me. For a while I hoped someone would actually love me…" Roxas mouth dropped open from shock. There was no way he could do something like that to anyone! He didn't want Axel cursed forever.

"Don't dwell on it," Axel said, once he noticed the blond's guilty expression. "If you don't want to marry me, then it's all right. Fall in love the person you think is best for you. Please don't feel pressured."

Roxas blinked at him incredulously as he leaned forward. "How can you say such a selfless thing?" he whispered breathlessly. "You've been through hell, you've been cursed…your life is miserable…"

"Because I have accepted the truth…" Axel answered with a meek and hopeless smile. "No one can fall in love with a freak like me."

The redhead nearly jumped when Roxas hugged him. The blond kept his father's words in his head. And his late mother would have wanted him to accept Axel for who he was. "But…you're not a freak." Roxas had to accept his fiancé for what he was.

Axel was almost struck speechless. Those words meant so much to him…so much. "Yes, I am." He couldn't help but wrap his arms around the blond's frame. It was so warm and welcoming at the same time, like he was being accepted for the first time in his life.

Roxas shook his head deniably. "No, you're not a freak! You're just…you're just cursed…" The redhead's arms tightened around the boy's body like a lifeline. Axel's entire body shook and he buried his face in Roxas' left shoulder.

"Why…?" the redhead whispered, trying his best to hold back his tears. Axel always thought being cursed meant being a freak, but suddenly he felt different. His heart beat rapidly inside his chest.

"It's all right…you may be different from the rest of us…but…" Roxas smiled warmly as the next few words slipped from his lips. He felt good about himself for being kind towards his fiancé. "But…you're not a freak. I promise."

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**A/N: **I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. I know it's a bit weird, which is why its title is '**Out of Whack**' and there will be more explanations as the story moves along. I'm trying not the make the chapters extremely long, but I guess that can't be helped sometimes.

Thank you for reading!


	2. Mixed Feelings

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts or its characters.

**A/N:** Yes, I know I'm super late…extremely late…unforgivably late, but you know what? It's AkuRoku Day and I updated, so yay? Anyway, I'm sorry for the lateness and I'll never assume a date for my next post again. XD I want to thank all my reviewers from the first chapter. You guys were awesome.

I apologize for spelling and grammatical errors…too tired to check over them right now. Anyway since there's not much else to say…Enjoy the chapter!

Word Count: 14 746

**Anonymous reviews:**

**Kabu**: I'm glad you enjoyed the first chapter…hopefully you'll like this one. XD

**321**: Yup, if Roxas does manage to fall in love with Axel and they have a successful marriage, then the curse will be broken. XD

**LiisuT**: Aww, thanks for reading my other fics as well. I'm really glad you like this fic so far!

**AtomicFusillade**: Yup, yup, I decided to keep Axel's pretty green eyes. They don't look too bad on Kairi. XD Anyway thanks for reading the first chapter and enjoying it!

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**Mixed Feelings**

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The morning sunshine slipped through the curtains in front of the balcony door and spilled onto Roxas' face, making him wince. He groaned at the immense glare and shifted in his sleep to avoid it. The room itself was still somewhat bright because the sunlight was quite strong, so he covered his entire body with his blanket. Unfortunately, his electronic alarm clock didn't want him sleeping anymore, seeing how it went off loudly. It started playing rock music from some random radio station, making Roxas hiss venomously, since it sounded so horrible. After slamming down on his snooze button with a fist, the boy shifted once again and groaned even louder. He hated waking up so early on a school day. Why was it necessary to be in class so early anyway?

The door to Roxas' bedroom creaked open and Larxene shuffled in tiredly, her eyes just slits and her hair a complete mess. "Dad says you have to get up early so you can show Axel…or Kairi or whatever around," she mumbled with a croaky voice, right before she widened her mouth to yawn. Hearing this Roxas buried his face into his pillow and waved his hand, shooing his sister away.

Axel was just a blurry image in his head…and the word was very unusual as well. _"What __**is**__ an Axel…?"_ He wondered to himself as he subconsciously arched an eyebrow. All of the events from the other night slowly replayed in his mind. Roxas' brain finally clicked and he realized that Axel was his new housemate **and** his new fiancé. _"Right…" _his mind told him lamely. He pulled his left hand up from under the covers and gazed at the baby blue ring. Roxas squinted at its bright shine and slowly sat up. _"Thank God it's not on my ring finger."_ He yawned loudly and stretched his arms into the air.

The time on his alarm read six-fifty-three and Roxas just muttered bitter, incoherent words to himself. He couldn't remember the last time he was forced to wake up at such an early time. _"No, wait…"_ Camping. Roxas woke up around five in the morning to go camping with his father and two annoying sisters. He couldn't believe how much energy they had that day…it _must _have been the coffee they consumed before they woke him up.

After Roxas mustered enough energy to get up from his bed, he shuffled over to his closet and cracked it open so he could fish out his school uniform. He threw off his sleepwear and slipped on his navy blue pants and white school shirt before he left his bedroom.

"Roxas, go make your bed…" Larxene demanded with a strict voice, like a mother would. Rolling his eyes in exasperation, the boy dragged himself back into his room and muttered curses under his breath as he tugged on his sheets and blanket. How was Larxene already awake and aware of her surroundings?

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Finally, after making his bed and pushing apart the curtains, Roxas left his room, though a little frustrated. He was never a great morning person, but he told himself he would try to be more energetic and happy. Scaring his new guests was not exactly a good option. Cloud would definitely nag him about being impolite later.

Roxas shuffled down the hallway and used his hand to comb a chunk of hair that was sticking out strangely. Even though his hair was unique and generally messy, he wanted it to look nice…in his sense. Once he reached Axel's door, he gave it a hard, clear knock before he opened it. "Axel, it's time for you to wake up and—"

Roxas was unable to complete his sentence because the image in front of him was utterly shocking. He froze at the doorway and his face was a cherry red, which was pretty dark. There crouching down in front of him was the female form of his fiancé…bare-chested. He gripped the wooden doorknob and swallowed thickly, unable to produce any coherent words.

Axel, or Kairi, rather, glanced up from her suitcase and smiled like everything in the world was perfectly fine. It didn't seem to bother her when she was crouching on the floor half-naked in front of her fiancé. "Good morning, Ro—"

"Holy shi—!" Before Roxas could even complete that, he slammed the door shut, his eyes wide like never before. The bang resonated along the walls of the second floor and it was, without a doubt, heard by those who were setting up breakfast in the kitchen. "I'm sorry! I forgot!" Roxas quickly covered half of his face with a hand as if he was preventing a nose bleed. This was proof he was not a good morning person. But at least he was wide awake now.

"Ohoho! Roxas got a look at Kairi's goods, huh?" Larxene snickered and gave her brother a congratulatory slap on the back as she passed him. "A bit early to see her half naked, don't you think?" she added, extra loudly so the rest of the household could hear. "No, wait! You already saw Axel naked last night—"

"Shut up, Larxene!" Roxas shrieked and his face became warmer and warmer, if that was even possible. He quickly whirled around on his heels and tapped the door with his trembling knuckles as he swallowed a thick lump in his throat. "Oh, God, I'm so sorry, Axel!"

Kairi opened the door and blinked innocently even though she was still topless. Roxas immediately shielded his eyes and let out a loud yelp as he faltered backwards and fell onto the floor. "W-what are you doing?!" he screamed at the top of his lungs.

"What's wrong?" she questioned worriedly while taking another step forward. Clearly she was confused by his frantic reaction. No one had ever been so freaked out by her appearance before, except her father maybe.

Larxene sighed as she stood in front of the perplexed redhead. She quickly unfurled the towel around her head and draped it over Kairi's shoulders so that part of her chest was covered. "Look, do you need a bra?" she asked bluntly, just so she could put an end to Roxas' wild screaming. Larxene was amused by his reaction at first, but it was still seven in the morning; the neighbours were going to complain if Roxas continued.

Kairi shook her head and pointed at her navy blue suitcase which was still sitting on the floor, unzipped. "I have some…" She glanced down at Roxas who had his eyes shut tightly, and his face was still stained with a heavy blush. "I was looking for one when Roxas came in. Then he freaked out for some reason…"

"For some reason, she says…" Roxas muttered mockingly through his embarrassment. While his eyes were still hidden, he secretly hoped that the other two did not hear his voice.

Larxene tried her best to hide a smile, but failed horribly because she started giggling. "Please tell me you don't flash the boys at school." With that said, Roxas' ears twitched. He simply couldn't imagine his fiancée being the skimpy type, wearing low cut short shorts and tight tops. No…that didn't sound like the timid Axel he met last night.

Kairi crossed her arms and tilted her head to the side thoughtfully. No one had ever asked her such an unusual question before. "No, I changed my clothes in the girls' room during gym. I guess I'm used to being seen by others."

The blonde wondered if Kairi preferred changing in the boys' room. "It must've been strange changing in front of all those girls." She could only imagine what it was like for Kairi when she first went into a girls' change room. "If you changed in the guys' room they would be all over you if they saw your—"

"I'm still here!" Roxas exclaimed viciously, slapping the hardwood floor with his free hand. The two girls turned to him and stared innocently, like nothing was wrong. "L-look, Larxene, just go into her room and help her look for her…her b-bra or whatever!" he demanded weakly while pointing a trembling finger at his fiancée's bedroom.

"Fine, go help with breakfast." Larxene clicked her tongue in annoyance as she snatched the redhead's wrist and dragged her back into the bright pink bedroom. Kairi stared back at Roxas for a good two seconds before the door was slammed shut.

Roxas let out a sigh of relief and removed his hand from his crimson coloured face. _"I just walked in on my fiancée…does that make me a pervert…?"_ Even though that question boggled in his mind, he promised himself that he would never ask his sisters. They would only laugh and tease him in the end, and that was a fact, not an assumption. _"It was an accident. A simple but stupid accident…" _ Roxas raked his hands over his face and groaned before he ran down the stairs. His mind repeated those words countless times.

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Larxene giggled quietly as she jumped onto the redhead's comfy bed. She couldn't help but grin at Kairi's innocence, though it was sort of cute at the same time. "That was fun," she sang playfully as she swung her legs back and forth over the edge of the bed.

A weak smile creased Kairi's face as she continued rummaging through her thick suitcase. Silently, the redhead decided it was best to quickly find her clothes and dress for school before she could cause anymore trouble. Roxas' frantic reaction replayed in her head and she bit her lower lip wishing she could turn back time. Kairi wondered if her fiancé thought she was a shameless person who danced around carelessly in public without a shirt. "Does he hate me?" she asked quietly without looking at Larxene.

Leaning back against her arms, the blonde stared up at the ceiling and sighed. "Nope. He cares about you, but he has trouble showing it."

Kairi shook her head as she removed the wet towel from her shoulders. Finally, to her relief, she found the piece of clothing she was searching for the past twenty minutes. "It's because I'm a guy." It wasn't even a question; Kairi practically stated it like a fact. Even without turning her head, she could feel a frown of disapproval form on Larxene's face.

"He has a picture of you in his wallet and on his desk," the blonde pointed out as she winked at Kairi. There was a sudden pause in the room. Kairi just gaped at her, silently wondering if it was true. Even though her heart beat sped up a little, she realized that her fiancé only had a picture of her female form.

"That isn't me," she noted miserably as she slammed her suitcase shut. It was still bulging though, since her clothes _and_ Axel's clothes were in it. The fact that she was in a woman's body irritated her to no end. She constantly wondered why she couldn't just be an ordinary guy. Why couldn't _Axel_ just have a normal life where he worked hard for good grades? Why couldn't he live a simple life where he could impress a girl instead of a boy? "He likes…Kairi, not _me_."

Larxene smiled and shook her head, disagreeing with the thought. "You're still Axel, but in another body, that's all. One person, two bodies. I'm sure you can prove to Roxas that Axel is just as good as Kairi. I mean he had this major crush on you because you were, and still are, a drop-dead gorgeous chick."

Kairi brought her hands up and shook them frantically, rejecting the compliment. "I-I'm not a chi—"

"Plus you're also a hot guy with a sweet ass," Larxene added with a devious grin, making the redhead blush profusely. She had completely forgotten that everyone in the household saw her naked the other night. Well, technically they saw _Axel_ naked the other night, but no one had ever commented on her—his behind like that.

Kairi shook off the strange thought and focused on the more important issue. "H-he likes Kairi. I-I can't win him over with my curse—I've never been able to with anyone," the redhead stuttered through her nervousness. She even had trouble buttoning up her blouse because her fingers were trembling. Kairi was well aware that her face was the same colour as Axel's hair.

Larxene skipped over to the flustered redhead and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Listen, honey, he liked you for appearance. You should show him that you have a great personality and don't be shy about it. Be yourself and try to have a good time when you're around him."

Still, the redhead was pessimistic and full of doubt. She stood up from the floor and pouted at Larxene for being such a positive person. "I'm…I'm still a guy. Roxas likes girls, right?"

Larxene scoffed at the ridiculous question and waved her hand casually in the air. "So? Make him gay! Stop giving up so soon!" Obviously it was easier said than done. Kairi knew that Larxene could never fully understand her situation. No one in the world had her problem.

"_But if I don't agree with her, she'll just nag me. I'll be late for school at this rate."_ Swallowing thickly, Kairi nodded and conjured up smile to convince Larxene that she was going to lighten up. "All right, I'll try."

...……………………………………………o…O…o………………………………………………...

Unfortunately, the breakfast table wasn't as quiet as Roxas hoped it would be. His morning was anything _but_ normal thanks to his strange gender-changing fiancé. Slowly and shakily, the boy lifted his fork to put a strip of greasy bacon into his mouth but ended up dropping it when Larxene and Rikku broke into hysterical laughter, their voices loud and shrill, echoing in the kitchen. "I wish I was there!" Rikku exclaimed as she slammed the wooden table with a firm hand. With that she earned a glare of disapproval from her father. All of the plates and glasses of juice and milk trembled, so everyone paused for a few seconds, their utensils dangling from their fingers. As Cloud was about to hush her, she gave Kairi a nice, strong slap on the back. "I'm surprised you have no shame!" This time, Roxas fired a glare in her direction. He was already red in the face. Suddenly he didn't feel like eating. It wasn't because he was disgusted; he was just frustrated with himself and his sisters.

"I have shame," Kairi argued weakly as she gripped her silver fork. "I just didn't think…I just didn't think it was a big deal when **one** person saw me topless." It was the definite truth. It's not like Kairi purposely flashed everyone in the house. A blush crept up her cheeks as she stared down at her plate of eggs, her fork now resting on the table. All eyes were on her and she felt uncomfortable about it. "Dad would know…" she muttered, twiddling her thumbs together. The family of blonds rewarded Kairi with gasps of disgust. They quickly turned to Reno, who immediately released his fork and shook his hands in front of him.

"No, no, no…!" the redhead began as Larxene and Rikku shot frigid glares in his direction. They couldn't believe a sick man like Reno was living under the same roof as them. Even Roxas' eyes were filled with a mixture of shock and disgust. The boy walked in on Kairi **accidentally**, but Reno?! Now that was rather suspicious. Roxas couldn't believe he trusted the man at first…what a fool he was. Feeling desperate, Reno turned to Cloud for some backup, but to his dismay the blond seemed pretty disappointed as well. "No, it's not what you think!" the redhead cried out desperately as he ran his hands over his face. His own best friend wouldn't even believe him…how humiliating. "I accidentally walked in on her one morning—like Roxas did!" Said boy sunk lower into his seat so he could avert everyone's eyes. Why did they have to stare at him?

"Dad walked in after my shower. I remember him staring at me for a few minutes and his mouth was hung open." Kairi rested her hands on her lap and aimed her head down so her hair could conceal her face. When the family of blonds couldn't see her, they turned to Reno. The man simply rubbed his temples and shook his head as Kairi continued. "I stood there with a towel dangling off my shoulder. I wrapped it around myself and asked dad if he needed the bathroom."

"And?" Larxene challenged sternly as she leaned forward and gripped the edge of the table. She had completely forgotten why Kairi was even telling this story in the first place. It was supposed to prove that she wasn't a shameless person. Kairi **did** try to conceal herself once…

"Um…he stared for a moment and said no. Then he left," the redhead replied nervously. The tension in the air was thick and heavy. Her appetite left her as soon as mustered up enough courage to look up.

Feeling a little frustrated for some odd reason, Roxas slammed the table and stood up from his chair. His eyebrows were furrowed and his teeth were clenched together. "Wait, you _stared_ at her?"

"I was shocked! Weren't _you_?" Reno questioned firmly.

"W-well, yeah, of course I was!" Roxas didn't want to admit it, but he also stared at Kairi when he walked into her bedroom. He was struck with shock at the time, but it was still an accident. That was what his mind kept telling him. It was a stupid accident! Shaking off his negative thoughts, Roxas twisted his body around and eyed his fiancée. "Okay, I'm sorry—I really am! J-just…just don't go showing off your goods to other people anymore. Don't act like it's not a big deal…it's not very ladylike."

Rikku snorted and nearly choked on her orange juice. "Goods…"

Something sharp poked at Kairi's heart when Roxas scolded her. "I'm not really a girl though." It was clear to her that Roxas still thought of her as a just a girl when he was awake and aware.

Quickly the blond cupped his mouth and he mentally slapped himself across the face for being so insensitive. He shouldn't have allowed such stupid words escape his lips. "I'm sure that's not what he meant." Even though Cloud made an effort to defend Roxas, there was still tension lingering in the air. "Enough talk about this. Go get ready for school."

With a silent nod, Roxas whirled around and rushed up to his bedroom to grab his school bag. He was going to walk Kairi to school and introduce her to his friends, but she didn't feel up to it. "Which way is our school?" she asked Larxene quietly. The redhead made a quick grab for her bag and threw it over her shoulder.

Larxene swallowed the food in her mouth and pointed to her right, but before she could even begin explaining anything, Kairi thanked her and rushed out. "Wait!" Unfortunately for Larxene, the front door was slammed shut and the redhead had disappeared. "Great!" she hissed as she slapped her forehead. Everything she told Kairi earlier meant nothing now. "Hey jerkface, you better leave _now_ if you want Axel to know you actually give a damn!" And from downstairs, Larxene could hear her brother use the f-bomb.

...……………………………………………o…O…o………………………………………………...

It was a beautiful and warm autumn morning. The colourful leaves were being plucked off the branches by the wind and they danced as they fell downwards. The ground was covered by red, orange, and yellow. Every time Kairi took a step forward she heard a crunching sound beneath her feet. Normally she liked the sound of it all, but at the moment, she was too distracted. The neighbourhood was still new to her and she didn't even know where to go. She figured she would ask for directions, but had no idea who to go to. Kairi stood at the lights and stared up at the street signs, but they did nothing for her. _"Why didn't I just wait…?"_ It was because she was mortified and a bit stubborn as well.

"Hey, check out that chick, Pence." A boy from far away whistled when he noticed Kairi standing at the street corner. "She's hot." He had barely noticed the troubled expression on her face.

"And totally out of your league, Tidus," his friend pointed out rudely, earning a hard punch on the arm. He let out a painful yelp and rubbed the sore spot wondering why he even provoked his blond haired friend in the first place. Pence looked up and studied Kairi carefully, even her face. When he noticed her expression, he frowned and tilted his head to the side. "She looks lost."

The teen named Tidus nodded and grinned delighting in the fact that Kairi was lost. Yes, to him it was a good thing. "I like a damsel in distress. It looks like I'll have to be her knight." The other teen gagged and pretended to hurl. Corny lines were definitely unwanted. Before he could reply, Tidus skipped off in Kairi's direction, determined to win her heart. He was practically glowing with confidence.

Kairi was still standing in that one spot. This time she was tapping a finger against her chin, but other than that, nothing else had changed. She was still lost and troubled, and had no idea who to ask for directions. Everyone seemed busy or was in a hurry to get to work or school. She couldn't possibly bring herself to stop them. "Why, hello there." Kairi jolted when she heard a silky voice greet her from behind. Shivers just journeyed down her spine when she twisted her body around.

"Hi?" the redhead replied awkwardly when she came face to face with Tidus. There was a sly, but smug smile on his face. He towered over her when he leaned an elbow against a nearby pole.

"You seem lost. Anything I can do to help?" he asked with a smooth voice, his eyes narrowed. It was as though he was already expecting a kiss. Or at least that was the impression. Kairi raised an eyebrow and carefully took a step back, making sure she did not walk onto the busy road.

"I'm looking for Twilight Hearts high school. If you could just point me in the right direction I'll be on my way." Unfortunately for Kairi, the blond was conceited and oblivious. She wanted to step away from him because she felt uncomfortable with him leaning towards her. But he was persistent.

Tidus smiled and took Kairi's hand without permission. His thumb caressed the back of it while his fingers played against hers. "How about I walk you?"

Worried and a bit irritated, the redhead yanked her hand back and shook her head. As she was about to thank him for his generous offer, a familiar voice shouted her name out from afar. When she turned her head to the right, she saw her fiancé dashing madly in her direction, waving a hand violently in the crisp air. "Roxas?" Despite the fact that she was still upset, she was glad to see a familiar face, especially since Tidus was trying to find a way to flirt with her. In all honesty though, she could have handled herself just fine. She was a guy after all.

Once Roxas caught up, he bent forward and panted for air, his hands resting on his knees. Sweat was trickling down the side of his face and the worst part was that he had gym first period. Kairi was expecting him to scold her for running off, but when their eyes met she could only see guilt. "I'm sorry. What I said earlier…I didn't mean it like that. I just—I just don't want people staring at my fiancée when she's…you know? A-and me too! I didn't mean to…you know?" His words were sincere and that made Kairi smile gratefully. Roxas' face was flushed and the redhead knew it wasn't just from running. Although Roxas couldn't complete his sentences, he meant well, and Kairi understood that.

"I forgive you." She reached into her bag and fished up a pack of tissues. Instead of awkwardly wiping his sweat away, she let him do it on his own.

"Wait a minute!" Tidus interrupted harshly as he rubbed his temples with his forefinger and thumb. Both Roxas and Kairi turned their heads so they could face him. "Squirt here is your fiancé?!" It was almost a laughable thought. A grin danced across his lips when the couple blinked. "You're kidding me, right?"

"Hey, at least I'm not a jackass or a player like you!" Roxas retorted with a frigid glare. Quickly he grabbed Kairi's hand and began walking across the street. They heard Tidus shout, but he was ignored. The redhead was just distracted by her fiancé's hand. It was nicely wrapped around hers and it was strange, but she didn't mind it. "I'll teach you how to get to school so you don't get lost next time. Or run into creeps like him." It was nice to know that Roxas was a protective fiancé. Kairi felt a little more…secure.

...……………………………………………o…O…o………………………………………………...

When the couple reached the school they were still hand in hand. Students who knew Roxas had begun whispering about his and Kairi's relationship. Tidus had already spread the word about their engagement and girls who had a crush on Roxas were blinded by jealousy. They had an urge to rip Kairi's hand away so they could replace her, but they knew Roxas would have hated that. Some wanted to plot against Kairi so they could make her breakdown and give him up. Like typical high school girls, they wanted to write on her desk, call her a slut, slip threatening letters into her locker, and ruin her school clothes.

Kairi and Roxas were already concerned, but they smiled sheepishly anyway. Earlier the redhead offered to walk on her own, but her fiancé said it was all right. He wanted to get used to holding her hand. When Kairi pointed out that she was a guy again, Roxas nodded and said, "I know." What bothered Kairi most was the unreadable expression on his face. Did that mean she was being accepted for being Axel? Did that mean that Roxas didn't care? It was all so confusing to her.

After Kairi's application was accepted, her schedule was immediately printed out. She studied it carefully and discovered that she shared some classes with Roxas. Interestingly enough she shared gym classes with him as well. Avoiding everyone's intense gaze, Roxas led her to the classroom and they sat beside one another around the middle, waiting for the bell to ring. Neither of them exchanged words because they were worried that the girls nearby would interrupt and shove Kairi into a wall or something. "Dude, what's up with the rock on your finger?" Roxas' friend Hayner waltzed up to him from the front of the classroom and lifted up the hand with a ring around it. Normally women did that when they found out their friends were engaged. Some of the girls who didn't have a crush on Roxas giggled when they saw that Hayner was examining the diamond.

Roxas shrugged nonchalantly and retrieved his hand. "I'm engaged," he reminded his friend as he rolled his eyes.

Hayner scoffed and sat on the blond's desk, then crossed one leg over the other. "Well, duh, we already knew _that_! But shouldn't Kairi be wearing the ring instead of you?" True, Roxas would have preferred the ring on Kairi, but he had no choice. When Hayner tried to slip the band off his finger, he pulled back and rapidly shook his head. The boy eyed him suspiciously and waited for an explanation, but Roxas couldn't think of an excuse that didn't sound lame.

"Uh, we're trying not to be all traditional about it," Kairi quickly stated, a wide, nervous grin painted over her lips.

"I see…" Hayner replied slowly, bobbing his head up and down. The heavy weight on Roxas' shoulders disappeared; he was glad that his friend believed Kairi's words. "Oh, right, I'm Hayner Rhodes." The blond offered out a hand to Kairi and winked, making her chuckle quietly. She always tried not to giggle because she never wanted Axel to adopt it. The very thought of it made her shudder.

Stretching out a hand, Kairi accepted Hayner's and smiled politely. "Ax—Kairi Fujiwara. It's a pleasure to meet a friend of Roxas'."

With a small smile, Hayner elevated the redhead's hand and gave it a kiss. "The pleasure is all mine." Seconds later, the boy felt a stinging pain in his arm, and it was because Roxas had smacked him for trying to hit on Kairi. "Ow, dude, I was just being polite."

"Smooth," Roxas replied coldly as he folded his arms over his chest. What he couldn't believe was that one of his best friends just kissed his fiancée's hand. That wasn't appropriate behaviour to him.

Before Hayner could retort, the school bell rang and the teacher hopped into the room, all cheery and ready to start the day. He had called up Kairi and introduced himself as Mr. Leonhart, then grabbed her shoulders and whirled her around so she could face the entire classroom. Everyone happily greeted her when she introduced herself, except for a select few who pierced her with a glare.

Mr. Leonhart then spoke to some of the other gym teachers about getting Kairi a uniform, and once she received one she joined the others in a game of volleyball. "All right, let's see you serve." The whistle blew and the redhead dribbled the white ball against the solid floor. A nervous sigh left her lips as she picked it up. Everyone was waiting patiently to see whether or not she had the potential to become an asset to the school volleyball team. After throwing it up into the air, Kairi smashed down on it, making it spin smoothly across the court, and it landed on the floor around the back before anyone could get to it.

"She's good," Hayner commented from the side as he clapped his hands together.

"And hot. Look at the _way_ she serves." Tidus grinned as rubbed his chin as he studied the redhead's movements. If Roxas was on the bench waiting for his turn, he would have decked the taller blond for being a pervert.

The other players assumed that the first serve was a fluke, but Kairi managed to ace it two more times before her serve was returned. Students on the sidelines whistled and cheered her on when she spiked it down and scored another point. "Nice." Roxas gave his fiancée a high five as he took the ball from her. While dribbling the object, one of his friends noticed the ring sparkling under the lights in the gym. She gasped loudly.

"Oh my God, Roxas is that—" The girl waved a hand in front of her like a fan as she shuffled over to said blond. Everyone blinked at her like she was insane, but when she lifted his hand they all saw the baby blue diamond shimmering beautifully. The sound of gasps ricocheted off the walls of the hollow gym, and students began gravitating towards Roxas. Even Mr. Leonhart pushed his way through the crowds just to get a better look at the ring. He was interested in knowing whether or not one of his students got engaged before he did.

"O-Olette, this really isn't the time…" Roxas murmured quietly, though his mind was cursing her to no end. When he tried to yank his hand away, several others made a grab at it just to catch a glimpse of the gem.

"You're **engaged**?!" the brunette shrieked angrily, her shrill voice ringing in everyone's ears. "But I thought you and I…I thought you and I were—"

"Were what?" Kairi interrupted calmly, her eyes glued to the one named Olette. There was a ping of jealousy and anger inside the redhead. Not only was she forced into an arranged marriage, but her fiancé might have already had a lady in his life. Luckily Kairi was able to keep cool…for now at least.

Roxas finally tore his hand away from everyone and shook his head. "Enough!" he shouted out, trying to gain control over the situation. Everyone was silent, waiting for a thorough explanation. "Olette and I, we're _just_ friends." When he shifted his gaze over to Kairi he practically felt her irritation channelling into him. Despite being calm and collected on the outside, she was very upset at Olette's outburst. Suddenly he knew this wasn't going to end well.

Olette latched her hands onto her hips and huffed loudly while she tapped her foot against the gym floor. "So, who's the lucky one?" she demanded with a bitter tone.

"W-well…" The blond shifted his eyes and fidgeted nervously, wondering how to answer the question. He could feel his fiancée's eyes pierce through his soul. She was definitely expecting an answer, but what kind? Obviously Roxas didn't have the ability to read minds. Would it be a big deal if he publicly announced his and Kairi's engagement? Or would it be better if it was kept as a secret? These questions boggled in his mind until a headache came along.

"It's Kairi." All eyes were on Hayner who, was currently at the back of the crowd smiling sheepishly. Roxas and Kairi weren't sure if Hayner had just rescued them from an interrogation, but they were grateful that he temporarily drew everyone's attention. While Roxas was recollecting his thoughts with the few seconds he had, Hayner boasted about how he knew about the engagement for the longest time.

"Two years?!" one of the students cried out as she took a fist full of her hair. All her hopes of becoming Roxas' girlfriend shattered in mere seconds, like a baseball smashing into a window.

Furious, Olette stomped up to Kairi and grabbed the collar of her shirt. The gym teacher shouted words of protest at first, but Olette's mind was fogged up by jealousy. Mr. Leonhart's words were blocked out. "Roxas is _mine_," she hissed venomously through her gritted teeth, her eyes flaring with hatred.

With her eyebrows furrowed, the redhead gripped Olette's wrist and twisted her body around. Everyone gasped when Kairi had restrained Olette, like a policeman would if he was arresting a criminal. "That's not what the ring says," Kairi replied quietly, her voice still very calm. Unfortunately, her actions spoke otherwise. Roxas could easily confirm that his fiancée had just inwardly snapped and was physically taking it out on the brunette who had a major crush on him.

"All right, all right, break it up."

--

By the time everyone settled down, the period had ended. On her first day of school, Kairi had already made an enemy before she even made a friend…unless Hayner counted as one. She remained quiet after the whole incident and Roxas didn't know what to say, though he did try to think of a way to apologize to her. Unfortunately for him, they didn't share the next few classes together, just lunch. Hayner had told him that he had a few hours to decide on what to say to both Kairi and Olette about the situation, but all Roxas wanted to do was smash his head against the nearest vertical surface…a wall in other words.

"Our twiwth ith pwethwy throng," Hayner commented with a mouth full of food. His friends held up their trays and used them as shields in case he spat out some crumbs…or worse.

"What?" Roxas asked, cocking his eyebrow.

After swallowing a large amount of bread in his mouth, Hayner released a sigh of satisfaction. He raised a single finger and paused as he smacked his lips together a few times. Everyone leaned in and opened their ears, but Hayner belched loudly and they all retreated in disgust. "Dude!" Sora cried out and waved a hand in front of him in an attempt to shoo away the foul stench of Hayner's club sandwich.

The blond leaned back against his chair and grinned. "I said your chick is pretty strong."

Everyone else around the lunch table murmured in agreement…or at least the ones who witnessed the outburst in gym class. Roxas sipped his soda and wondered why his fiancée had reacted so harshly towards someone he wasn't even in love with. _"That's because guys act before they think."_ Of course. It must have been Axel who fought back against Olette. Was he jealous?

"Hey, why isn't she sitting with us?" Selphie had wondered aloud. She glanced all around the lunchroom, but couldn't spot Kairi because there were too many students pushing passed one another to get in line for food. They all resembled animals in a zoo or a farm in Selphie's eyes. She could hear people shouting over others and she could also see people shoving for more space. Minutes later, the brunette gave up and slumped into her seat.

Roxas' friends turned to him and gave him a look that said he was a horrible, careless fiancé. It was _the_ look that branded him a jerk. They had never given it to him before, but he knew what that look had meant. "No, no, you can't judge me like that," he said with a warning voice as he wagged his finger in the air.

"In-sen-si-tive." Hayner mocked his friend by waving a finger in the air as well. Poor Kairi was somewhere in the lunchroom all alone, on her first day too! Surely she was worried and upset that her fiancé abandoned her in the crowd of hungry students. "Don't complain if anyone hits on her or snags her away from you. She's hot you know?" With an indignant glare, Roxas slammed the table and stood up from his seat. No one could figure out why he was upset when he stormed off. Was it because he feared the fact that some boy might actually pick up his fiancée? Or was it because he didn't want to come off as an insensitive jerk to his friends? Questions, questions…

Roxas shoved through the crowds and scanned all the tables with his eyes, determined to find Kairi. _Was_ he being an insensitive jerk? Suddenly he stopped moving, like his feet were frozen to the ground. _"Isn't…isn't she capable of taking care of herself?" _But that wasn't the point. He should have been more generous and kind. For instance, he could have met up with her after class and showed her around the school or at least the cafeteria. Perhaps he could have invited her to join him and his friends so they could learn more about one another. _"What the hell am I doing…?"_ As he was about to run his hands over his face he heard some familiar voices call out his name.

"Roxas!" When he scanned his surroundings carefully, he found his fiancée and his sisters waving in his direction. The first person he saw was Kairi though. Unlike his sisters who were waving wildly, she was sitting comfortably in her seat, picking at her food carefully while greeting him with her free hand. Guilt had begun poking at his heart. She didn't seem upset or depressed, but she didn't seem happy either.

"I didn't think you were so heartless," Rikku chirped as she slapped her brother's back.

Roxas conjured up a weak smile as he seated himself next to his fiancée. He felt awkward being next to her, but Larxene and Rikku had already occupied the seats from across. "Sorry." They all blinked at him. Roxas' fingers were curled up into tight fists and they sat on his lap while sweat gathered into his palms. "I messed up again. I'm really sorry, Axel." It was a genuine apology. When Kairi heard that name her hand twitched and a spaghetti string slipped through the gaps of her fork. Roxas swallowed thickly and prayed for forgiveness. Otherwise the two blonde witches sitting across from him would cackle at his misery.

"It's all right." Kairi poked the string of spaghetti punishingly before she fished it back up. It was strange. She showed no sign of anger or happiness, just a simple, unreadable expression. How was Roxas supposed to feel? Even now he wanted to bash his head against a solid surface. The closest thing was the lunch table, but Larxene, Rikku, or Kairi would have stopped him.

"So Roxy, what are you doing after school today?" Rikku inquired cheerfully as she swung her legs under the table. To Roxas, she seemed happier than usual, meaning she had something up her sleeve or she managed to snag herself a new boyfriend. Either way, Roxas was going to play it safe. He already had enough stress for one day.

"I think I'm going home to relax." Though he didn't sense it, Kairi's expression wilted away like a dying flower in autumn. Even Larxene and Rikku had to mask their disappointment with a simple smile and nod. They agreed to not interfere with Kairi's problem. And as much as they wanted to nag Roxas, they weren't allowed to. "Why the silence?" Suspicion boiled up in Roxas' mind as he arched an eyebrow. Something was off, but he couldn't figure out what exactly. "What's going on after school?" he wondered aloud with pursed lips.

"It's nothing, don't worry about it. We were just lost in our thoughts," Larxene scoffed and waved a hand lazily in the air.

After a long, agonizing pause, Kairi stood up from her seat and left her lunch, half-eaten. "I'm going to go borrow some books from the library. I'll see you around."

Once she disappeared from Roxas' sight, he wondered why she was acting so strangely. He couldn't help but wonder if it was his fault entirely. _"I know I screwed up earlier, but I'm __**really**__ sorry!" _Then his mind slapped him across the face for being moronic. He should have been telling this to Kairi. _"Kairi…no, Axel is a lot quieter today. Maybe…I __**did**__ do something wrong."_ A frown tugged on his lips as he left his two sisters, who were chatting away. As he stepped into the hallway, his conscience began nagging him endlessly._ Make it up to her_, it would say. _You are his fiancé after all._

...……………………………………………o…O…o………………………………………………...

The school bell rang and all of the students stampeded out of their classrooms, desperately wanting to leave the school. Roxas, being one of those many students, rushed to his locker and deposited some of his unneeded textbooks. Sparing a few seconds, he glanced around to search for Kairi. He silently hoped she was all right on her own, but when he didn't see her he felt edgy. After slamming his locker shut he started looking for his fiancée on foot. _"I have to make up for earlier."_

"Ooh, ditched your precious fiancée again, did you?" Hayner snickered as he slapped Roxas' back from behind. That smug grin on his face was begging to be wiped away by a fist, or at least that's what Roxas thought.

"I didn't ditch her," he growled lowly. The hallways were still filled and Roxas was growing impatient. Kairi was still pretty new to the community, so Roxas figured he would at least walk her home. Then again they lived together, so why not? Plus it was something a fiancé would do…right?

Hayner shrugged casually at Roxas' bitter filled response. "Then where is she?" he asked in a teasing voice.

Roxas released a loud huff. The irritating blond chose to walk along side of him. Of course, Roxas chose not to sock him in the face. "We had different last period classes," he sighed. What a horrible excuse.

"There she is!" Hayner pointed out excitedly. The boy quickly rushed ahead of Roxas and greeted Kairi with much enthusiasm. The amount of energy he had really surprised the redhead, but they still got along just fine. "How was your first day?" Kairi opened her mouth to respond, but Hayner brought up a yielding hand. "No, no, wait! Your fiancé should be asking you that," he chuckled wittily.

Roxas shot him a frigid glare and Hayner whimpered and hid behind Kairi. "How was your day?" he groaned.

The redhead twitched at his tone and turned towards her locker. "It was fine, thank you," she answered softly through the noisy crowds.

"Did you get lost?" To Kairi's surprise there was a sense of worry in her fiancé's voice. Hayner on the other hand shot up his thumb and winked at the blond, who then rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"Maybe once or twice," the redhead shrugged as she shoved some books into her locker. "But overall it was fine…"

Roxas nodded sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck. He never really asked a girl this question before, but Kairi…or Axel…_was_ his fiancé… "Do you…" he paused and coughed into his fist as a blush formed on his cheeks. "Do you want to walk home together?" he muttered.

For a good minute, the redhead stared at Roxas with an unreadable expression. He could have sworn her eyebrow twitched for a split second. Hayner was still behind Kairi, eagerly waiting for the answer. _"Oh my…is she really going to shoot down her fiancé?"_

"I can't," she said quietly, averting the blond's gaze while gripping the handle of her school bag. Hayner released a dramatic gasp which drew the attention of at least ten students passing by. "I'm going somewhere…" she continued in a solemn tone.

Roxas was quite shocked by the answer, and was also quite upset when people nearby whispered to each other. Great…rumours were being created **already**. "O-oh?" he tried calmly.

"Someone said he would take me to the mall…" Kairi kept her voice as quiet as possible, but people were actually leaning in to eavesdrop. The shocked expression was still present on Roxas' face.

Hayner almost shouted loudly, but was silenced when Kairi easily placed a hand over his mouth.

Roxas stared intently at the redhead's softened expression. He almost thought about arguing with her, but there were too many people around. There was no point in starting a commotion. "Roxas, she said '_he_', doesn't that bother you?" Hayner hissed.

"S-she can make male friends, okay?!" Roxas countered evenly as his fingers curled into fists. Why was he getting aggravated by all of this? It definitely wasn't because of all the spectators…but it was something jabbing his insides. "Just…just make sure you're home before six!" Roxas demanded as he whirled around and stormed away.

Hayner waved goodbye to Kairi and ran off to catch up to his friend. "Roxas, you were totally jilted!" He hung his arms over Roxas' shoulder and pretended to cry.

The blond released an exasperated growl as he broke free. "She can do what she wants…"

"But?" Hayner pressed on.

"I just feel like I did something wrong. When I look into her eyes I feel guilty, like it's my fault she's unhappy." It was difficult for Roxas to describe his situation. No one in school knew about Kairi's secret, not even Hayner. How could he tell anyone, other than his sisters, that it wasn't easy having a fiancé who was a boy and a girl? It was only his first day, but he was trying to adjust. He made mistakes, but he also learned from them. What was he supposed to say…? _"Tell Axel. Help him understand your situation."_ His conscience was correct. With a loud groan, Roxas finally stopped in the middle of the hallway and bumped his head against the wall several times.

"Whoa, whoa, easy there." Hayner yanked him away and shook his shoulders vigorously in an attempt to snap Roxas out of his depressing state. "Look, if Kairi is as nice as she seems, then you'll have no problem talking to her."

Roxas slouched and nodded weakly. Even Hayner knew what to do, and that made him feel very dense.

...……………………………………………o…O…o………………………………………………...

Roxas was welcomed by silence when he entered his warm home. While glancing around, he noticed that Reno and Cloud's coats and shoes were missing. They must have been catching up in a coffee shop or something. Supposedly they were best friends after all. _"I wish I could have a nice relationship with Kairi."_ But that meant he had to learn more about Axel as well. Roxas sighed dejectedly as he kicked off his shoes and shuffled into the kitchen, his head hanging low. Truthfully he was worried about talking to Axel. Roxas never thought about liking boys before, but he'd have to learn to if he was going to marry the redhead. There was some part of him that wanted to cancel the engagement. Then there was another part that wanted to learn more about Axel and his past. He seemed rather interesting and his personality was strange…out of whack even, thanks to his ever-changing hormones.

Roxas absentmindedly snapped open the fridge door and fished out some snacks, like leftover shortcake from the day before. "Axel doesn't ever seem angry with me…" But then again a lot of women were good at hiding their true feelings. They became vicious beasts once they decided to release their anger. _"He seems really sad…but really kind at the same time…"_ Roxas wanted to be there to comfort him for some reason, like a safety blanket. He wanted to be someone Axel could talk to whenever he was upset or depressed. However, the feelings did not seem mutual when Kairi said she didn't want to walk home with him. _"What guy could she possibly have—no! God, I hope it's not Tidus." _The blond nearly dropped the carton of milk in his hand when horrible images contaminated his mind, his heart thudding painfully inside his chest. What if Tidus was taking her out on a date? What if _he_ was Kairi's first kiss?!

"No, she doesn't seem like the type to do that sort of thing…" He shook off his pessimistic thoughts and reached over to the counter for a knife. As he began slicing the cake, he recalled a short conversation he and Kairi shared the day before. They were getting along splendidly, like they were close friends already. She was a very polite and sweet person, especially when she offered to help him in the kitchen. Suddenly Roxas dropped the knife onto the cake, the handle melting into the sea of frosting. "Shit!" Now he knew why Kairi had refused to walk home with him. Now he knew why Kairi acted the way she did during lunch period. _"I said I'd take her to the mall!"_ It was all so clear in his head now. While they were in the kitchen the other day, Roxas had offered to bring her to the mall after school. _He_ was the boy Kairi was referring to earlier, not Tidus, not anyone else!

Quickly the blond relinquished any object in his hand and made a mad dash out of the kitchen. The milk and cake were eventually going to rot since they were still sitting patiently on the counter. Cloud was definitely going to lecture him later, but that wasn't important at the moment. "Larxene! Larxene!" The blond hollered as he dashed all around his home. He couldn't believe how stupid he was when he finally figured out why his fiancée didn't want to walk home with him. Why didn't she show any sign of anger though? She could have yelled at him for his stupidity. _"She must think I'm a total ass right now!"_ With haste the blond hopped up the stairs to the second floor and panted out his sister's name. "Larx…ene…wh-where—"

"Geez, you need to exercise more often if you get tired **this** easily," she said with a mischievous grin, earning an icy glare from her younger brother. "What did you do this time?" Larxene asked nonchalantly as she picked at her fingernails. With that smug grin on her face, it was obvious that she knew what Roxas had done.

"What do you mean **this time**?" he demanded shrilly as he stomped his foot on the floor in a childish manner. He didn't know who was worse at the moment. Was he worse for being an inconsiderate and forgetful fiancé? Or was it Larxene for being a devious, sadistic woman, taking delight in her brother's misery?

"Well…" she began with a sing-song tone, tapping an index finger against her cheek. "You freaked out about _Axel_ the first day, punched his **gorgeous** face, and then saw him naked."

"For the record," Roxas interrupted firmly, a wild blush spreading across his face. "You saw him naked as well." That point did nothing for the blond. He just needed to say something back to her…just something.

The older sister snickered as she ruffled Roxas' already messy hair. "Hey, I didn't slug a hot guy." Technically she had the advantage in the argument. Anything that involved Axel or Kairi could have been used against Roxas, seeing how he screwed up several times already. Still, the boy was fighting back the urge to tackle his own sister to the ground. Priorities were priorities, and for Roxas, that meant locating his fiancé.

"Look," he breathed. "I-I really screwed up and I need your help." He looked down at the hardwood floor shamefully as he chewed on his lower lip. Guilt was definitely weighing down on his shoulders, even Larxene could see that. She bit back a sarcastic remark and sighed as she latched her hands onto her hips.

"Tell me what you did." She wanted Roxas to admit his fault.

The boy twiddled his fingers together nervously as he swallowed a thick lump in his throat. He mentally slapped himself for being a neglectful jerk. "I was supposed to take Kairi to the mall and I forgot," he muttered remorsefully. "I need you to give me a ride back to the school."

Larxene hummed thoughtfully to herself as she drummed her foot against the floor. There was this pleading look in Roxas' eyes, but he had too much pride to beg. "Gardening for one week," she said with a sigh.

"You're actually putting a price on this?!" Roxas hissed indignantly as he stomped on the floor again. He knew his sister was going to make him do something in return, but extra chores?! And gardening?! With a loud groan, Roxas slapped his own forehead and then ran a hand down his face. He muttered, "Fine…!" under his breath. Either way, Larxene was going to find a way to use him…it was like child labour.

She giggled mischievously and skipped into her bedroom to grab a set of car keys on her surprisingly neat desk. Roxas uttered curse words under his breath as his eyes followed his sister. He only wished he could shoot laser beams out of them. "Well, what are you waiting for? Let's go!" she called out as she punched her fist into the air, interrupting Roxas' violent thoughts. They rushed down the stairs and into the garage where Larxene had parked her car last. It was a convertible and her choice of colour was black…the same colour as her heart, Roxas mentally determined. Luckily for him, though, it was a rather fast car and Larxene wasn't always the safest driver. Something about the convertible just brought the absurd recklessness out of her.

Roxas hopped into the car, strapped the seatbelt on securely and clutched onto the end of his seat for dear life. He knew how fast Larxene drove. If he truly had a choice he would have borrowed Rikku's car, but she was out. Even though Roxas had a license, he didn't have his own car, nor would Larxene ever dream of lending the gorgeous convertible to him.

Larxene was quite the driver though—one who would draw out the road rage from others behind the wheel of their own car. Roxas feared the fact that his sister was often over the speed limit, but there wasn't much he could do. He simply had to keep in mind that he was desperately searching for Kairi. "Slow down, damn it!" he would shriek every few minutes. "You're going seventy in a forty zone!" Too bad Larxene couldn't care less. She knew her little brother was secretly anxious and impatient, though he hid it pretty well.

"I knew you cared about him!" She shouted out triumphantly, a smug grin painted over her lips. With little patience and energy left, Roxas chose not to argue that remark. Of course he cared about Axel; the guy was living in his house. Plus…he was Roxas' fiancé for two years and they finally met, but under the most unexpected circumstances, unfortunately. "I bet she's royally pissed off at you right now." Larxene said with a more serious tone. Being a girl, she knew how it felt to be publicly stood up and humiliated by a man who made plans and promises to her. "I suggest you figure out a way to make it up to her if you don't want to look like a complete jerk." Roxas nearly glared daggers in her direction, but he accepted the bitter truth. Larxene was right.

"Thanks," he murmured sardonically as he relinquished the car seat to cross his arms over his chest.

Once they made it to the school, Roxas made a mad dash towards the door while Larxene waited patiently, blasting up the music in her convertible. Roxas groaned in embarrassment right before he slammed the door shut. Of course, since he didn't see his fiancée at the front gate, he assumed she was still inside, feeling mortified and completely rejected.

Roxas searched the entire first floor, flinging any door open and calling out Kairi's name. Sometimes the remaining teachers hushed him sharply but he decided to ignore them. He dashed up to the second floor and continued his search, but this time he interrupted some club activities. It didn't take long for them to get angry. They all rushed out of their classrooms and began chasing the poor blond down the hallway. His eyes bulged and he could have sworn sweat trickled down the side of his head. Roxas quickly fled while screaming, "Kairi…! Kairi, I'm sorry!" Poor Roxas nearly tripped several times when he skipped down the steps in the stairway; he had to escape as quickly as he could.

"What the hell?" Larxene murmured as she squinted at the hoard of angry students chasing down her brother.

"Go, go!" Roxas waved his hands wildly, shooing his sister. She nodded and pulled the lever into drive mode. Quickly Roxas snapped open the door and leapt in, allowing Larxene to escape the mob. Through his heavy panting, Roxas thanked Larxene for saving him from the surprisingly violent students.

"I'm guessing she wasn't there." Roxas answered her with a short nod.

"Can you drive me to the mall?" he asked as he rubbed his temples.

"Dishes for one week." There was no use in arguing with his sister anymore; Roxas was too exhausted. If it meant he could make up with Kairi…or Axel, he would accept whatever chores she threw at him.

...……………………………………………o…O…o………………………………………………...

They arrived at the mall in ten minutes but to Roxas' dissatisfaction it was really crowded. When he stepped out of the car, he groaned for what seemed like the fiftieth time. It was like a mega mall, so there were several floors and countless stores. That meant he had to search every area thoroughly if he didn't want to miss her. "I have to work soon, so I'm going home to eat. You're on your own from here." With a lazy nod, Roxas stepped away from the convertible and slouched. Poor Kairi must have been lonely and humiliated. What a horrible combination. "Good luck." And with that she drove away. Roxas smiled sheepishly since Larxene rarely wished him luck. He craned his head up and stared at the sign. "Bastion Square…" He had hoped that Kairi was in **this** mall. There were several other ones around the area, but this was the one he wanted to take Kairi to. _"I'm wasting my time…"_ He rushed in and scanned his surrounding areas carefully. There were groups of friends and couples blocking his view wherever he looked. The mall seemed so overcrowded that it was almost suffocating to Roxas, especially since he was panicking.

He glanced around frantically in a terrible attempt to find his fiancée. What he couldn't figure out was why there were so many people hanging out at the mall on a school day. _"Ugh, teachers do __**not**__ give enough homework these days!"_ His mind growled in frustration.

The determined blond continued jogging forward and his eyes kept wandering around. There weren't **that** many people with red hair… "Kairi?" He squinted at a girl who stood in front of a giant book store. Automatically, Roxas' legs dragged him forward and took a hold of said girl's shoulder. "Kairi," he repeated once more, grabbing her attention.

"Roxas?" she asked, dumbstruck, her emerald eyes wide.

"I-I'm sorry…" the boy muttered, averting her gaze. "I…I forgot. I'm sorry…"

"Go home, Roxas…" Kairi said quietly, pulling her shoulder free from his grasp. Those words stung Roxas' heart, but he wasn't willing to give up. No, he had to prove he wasn't a shallow person. It didn't matter how many times her words stabbed his heart.

"I didn't mean to. I'm sorry, Kairi. Let me make it up to you." Roxas had no idea why he was being so persistent. The other night he practically told his father that he didn't want to marry Axel. But here he was, pleading for forgiveness. People nearby stared at him awkwardly, like he was insane, but he made an effort to ignore them.

With a small blush on her face, Kairi twisted her body around and began storming away. Being the persistent one, Roxas followed her. They shoved passed several people, pushed couples apart and squeezed into the same elevator, but the redhead refused to speak to her fiancé. Roxas actually hated the silent treatment, so he kept trying to convince her that he was truly sorry. People nearby thought he was a creepy stalker and a security guard even approached Kairi to ask if she knew she was being followed. Roxas swallowed thickly, wondering if this was the end, but Kairi had told the guard that it was all right. A sigh of relief left the blond's lips as he wiped the sweat off his forehead.

Finally, after twenty minutes, Kairi decided to go to the washroom where Roxas _couldn't_ follow her. Still, he stood outside and waited impatiently. Women gave him dirty looks as they exited, but he merely scoffed and turned away. He leaned against the nearest wall and tapped his foot on the floor for about ten minutes. _"Is this some sort of a test?! She's taking so long…"_ After mustering up enough courage, he stepped into the forbidden zone and the girls inside shrieked and threw paper towels at him. "W-wait!" Before he could explain himself, they all fled, screaming about a pervert. Kairi was still standing there, wiping her hands, but she was shocked.

"What are you doing?! The security guard is going to kick your ass!" Quickly the redhead snatched her fiancé's hand and yanked him out of the washroom. They rushed into the crowds to conceal themselves and then rode the escalator down to the first floor. They stopped in front of a large cafeteria and panted heavily. Their hearts were beating rapidly inside their chests from a mixture of excitement and fear. "H-have you gone insane?"

"What took you so long?" Roxas boldly interrupted as he looked up.

"There was a line up!" she swiftly replied. When Roxas blushed profusely, she turned away and smiled at his embarrassment. She dragged herself over to one of the available tables and sat down, trying to seem casual. "Why are you so persistent?—Why is this so important to you?"

Roxas forced his body to move forward until he finally made it to the table. He slumped into the seat and sighed while pushing back some of his wet bangs. "You're my fiancée and I care about you. I shouldn't make you feel uncomfortable or upset. I said I would take you to the mall today and I forgot." There really was no excuse for his actions. Roxas had freaked out on her at home, left her out during the lunch period, and completely forgot he made plans with her after school. After summing that all up in his mind, he felt nothing but guilt. "Y-you have to understand that this is really new to me. I-I've never had a girlfriend before and you-you're different, so I have to adjust." Before Kairi could reply, Roxas raised a hand to silence her. "You're not a freak, we've established that." She clamped her mouth shut and continued listening attentively. Exhausted, the blond ran his hands over his face. "I-I'm going to screw up sometimes, but I'll learn from those mistakes if you'll let me. So I'm really sorry if you felt like a reject today…I'm sorry I freaked out this morning…I'm sorry I didn't defend you in gym this morning…I'm sorry I left you alone at lunch…I'm sorry—"

"I forgive you, Roxas," Kairi interrupted with a sincere smile on her face. When he looked up, he realized his words had finally reached her. Her smile was different from earlier…it was real. When Roxas apologized at school, Kairi's expression was unreadable, but now it looked clear…perfect even.

Relieved, the blond laughed and buried his face in his arms, which were resting on the table. "Thank God!" he breathed out hoarsely.

...……………………………………………o…O…o………………………………………………...

After resting for a few minutes, Roxas purchased some drinks for him and Kairi so they could relax and finally get to know one other a little more. He had bought a chocolate milkshake for his fiancée and an iced coffee for himself. Victory tasted so sweet to Roxas. "You're assuming I like chocolate milkshakes because I'm a girl, right?" she asked as she cocked an eyebrow, her hands sitting neatly on her lap. Sudde ly Roxas felt defensive about his choice. When she said, "Surprise me" earlier, he didn't know what to do. So he grabbed whatever looked good…from a girl's point of view.

Wait. "Guys like milkshakes too!" he retorted, slamming the solid surface with a hand.

She laughed as she leaned forward to take a sip. "Yup." There was a cute and content look on her face, which made Roxas look away and blush. He knew he couldn't get too attached to Axel's female form, but she really _did_ look attractive. Roxas had a crush on her for two years straight!

"_I guess Axel is pretty attractive as a guy…"_ Roxas hummed to himself as images of Axel flashed in his mind from the night before. His hair was wild, like an intense fire and his eyes were the same as Kairi's, beautiful and emerald. Axel's body was thin and muscular, plus he was also tall. _"Ooookay…that was weird."_ Roxas had never thought about a boy like that before. It was awkward, despite how handsome and gentle Axel really was.

"Roxas?" Said boy blinked as he heard Kairi call out his name. "Are you all right? I asked you the same question three times."

"Wha…?" he asked dazedly.

"I asked if you wanted to go to the arcade afterwards. I saw the poster for House of the Dead Heartless III when I passed by." Kairi's face lit up like a light bulb when she started talking about the game. House of the Dead Heartless III just came out two weeks ago, and Kairi had been dying to play it, but she was too busy with school work.

"You play House of the Dead Heartless too?!" Roxas asked brightly as he beamed as his fiancée. "No. Way!" None of his friends were skilled enough to play that game. House of the Dead Heartless I was the easiest of the three. They played that one first, but when the sequel came out, they couldn't keep up with Roxas and they refused to surrender bags and bags of quarters just to improve. "How good are you?"

Kairi scoffed and waved her hand lazily in the air. "I finished House of the Dead Heartless II on my own!"

They laughed and talked about their love for video games for a while, then Roxas decided to ask Kairi about her other interests. "Arc of Shadows." It was a popular music band that played all types of music, from rock, to dance, to heavy metal. Luckily for her, the blond also adored that band. He actually had their CDs and there were posters plastered all over the walls in his bedroom. "We should go to their upcoming concert!"

Roxas would have agreed to that, but then something clicked in his mind. Bands normally performed at concerts during the evenings, so that meant that Axel was going to take him. Roxas wasn't sure if he was comfortable with that yet…it was going to be a date involving two guys. "Do…you not want to go?" Kairi suddenly asked, concern dripping from her voice. When Roxas' words got jammed in his throat, Kairi realized why he was so quiet. "Oh…o-okay, I see. If you feel uncomfortable about it I—"

"I'll go with you," Roxas replied with the best reassuring smile he could conjure up. Truthfully he didn't want to hurt Kairi or Axel anymore. They were the same person, just in two different bodies. But Roxas decided that he had to get used to the fact that _Axel_ was going to marry him…not Kairi. He had to get over his discomfort somehow…

"Are you sure?" It was as though Kairi could see through his smile. She knew that Roxas was feeling uncomfortable with the idea of going to a concert with her male form. "I-if you don't want to, I won't force you to or anything…"

The blond shook his head and smiled softly. "Nah, it'll be great if two big fans go together."

A bright grin graced Kairi's features as she clapped her hands together. "Great! I'll pick up the tickets soon!" After Roxas saw how happy she was, he smiled, and was surprised when he realized he didn't regret his decision at all. Excitement boiled in his blood when he thought about watching a live concert with someone who loved Arc of Shadows just as much as he did.

...……………………………………………o…O…o………………………………………………...

While walking towards the arcade Kairi and Roxas had conversations about their late mothers. Apparently they knew one another through their husbands and were very close friends. Unfortunately they were both frail because of an illness and as a result they left the world sooner than Cloud or Reno had expected. "I got my male name from my old man, and Kairi came from my mother."

"Really?" Roxas was surprised that Mrs. Fujiwara was aware of Axel's curse. She must have been alive longer than his own mother. "How did she come up with that name?"

The two of them stopped in front of the arcade so Kairi could answer the question without raising her voice. The machines inside produced too much noise and she had no desire to scream at the moment. Kairi looked at Roxas sadly through her emerald eyes. "My mother said that if she ever had a daughter, she would name her Kairi. Even though she died before my curse hit me, I kept the name she loved."

"O-oh…" Roxas looked at his shoes guiltily and rubbed the back of his neck. It turned out that Axel's mother didn't live long enough to see that he was also a beautiful girl. But the redhead preferred being a man, and he wanted his mother to only see that. Axel was actually glad that his mother only saw _him_ and not Kairi… "I'm sure that she would have loved you either way."

A small blush crept up Kairi's cheeks as she nodded and smiled. She knew that her mother would have loved her dearly. _"I finally get to go shopping with you! Your father always had strange taste in clothing." _That was the familiar voice that Kairi heard in her head. It was so sweet and energetic…the redhead missed her mother.

But she couldn't always dwell on her loss because her mother would have wanted her to move forward. As Kairi swept away her depressing thoughts, she snatched her fiancé's hand and pulled him forward. "Let's have some fun!"

With a positive nod, Roxas followed obediently. They entered the deafening arcade and searched for House of the Dead Heartless III. It just _had_ to be the most popular game around, so the couple searched for a large crowd. Several people were playing dancing games or racing games and then there were some playing air hockey. The lights were dim and very blue to keep a nice mood for the arcade. "There!" Roxas pointed at a small crowd near House of the Dead Heartless III and he rushed forward, pulling Kairi along.

When they reached their designated location, they heard a loud groan from the crowd. The couple that had just been playing House of the Dead Heartless III got a game over. "Nice try, dude." The members of the audience would say. Or "You were so close!" It seemed as though the difficulty of the game was extremely high and people were having trouble completing the early stages. No one else wanted to try after that last game over. They weren't willing to spend anymore quarters on a game that was going to frustrate them in the end.

"Shall we?" Kairi asked as a smirk grew on her lips.

Roxas scoffed and removed his school blazer. "Of course." House of the Dead Heartless III had two guns instead of one. The last two games never had dual pistols or anything, so this was a new challenge for both Roxas and Kairi. They inserted two quarters and raised their guns, preparing for battle. Both were confident and excited about the game. Rumours had claimed that the game could not be completed without a partner, so Roxas hadn't played it for the longest time. No one wanted to assist him on his journey…that is until Kairi arrived.

"Watch your left side. The creators always assume it's a weak spot for us." Kairi had triggered her gun countless times, blasting her enemies to oblivion without breaking a sweat. She held her dual pistols like a professional and tried hard to not let her guard down. As a typical player she ended up losing some of her health, but she was doing better than Roxas.

Of course, the blond was surprised that Kairi was doing extremely well. Everyone was impressed by her skills. Her posture was perfect and her execution was amazing. Kairi wasn't anywhere near perfect, but she was much better than every else. "Whoa, that chick is _good_!" One of the boys in the back whistled when Kairi blasted the Shadow Heartless. Roxas had watched her back many times as she did for him. It was all about teamwork and endurance. The players were forced to hold their guns up for a long period of time…that is, if they wanted to survive several stages. They weren't all that light either, but Roxas and Kairi were strong in the arms. Both of them lasted for quite a while, but they never made it to the final boss, Ansem.

Still, after finally giving up, the crowd went wild, mostly for Kairi, but they commended Roxas for going farther than they ever could. "That was amazing! Your girlfriend kicks ass!" One of the guys shouted out as he punched his fist into the air.

"Yeah, she's pretty amazing." Roxas whirled around and found that his fiancée was being praised by other players. They gave her congratulatory pats on the back and the girls stared at her in awe. She was also eye candy for some of the boys nearby…but Roxas had to admit, she was much better than he was.

...……………………………………………o…O…o………………………………………………...

The couple returned home soon afterwards because they needed to eat, shower, and do homework. Aside from all the difficulties at school, Roxas had a fine day. He couldn't believe how much he had in common with Kairi; they both loved shooting games and Arc of Shadows…and they both missed their mothers.

After a nice dinner with his family, Roxas rushed up to his bedroom and cracked down on his homework. It was hard to focus since he was in such a good mood, and he was lucky because his teacher wasn't collecting homework the next day. The class was just going to take up the questions. Roxas wanted to relax and enjoy the rest of the day…but then he realized he had made deals with Larxene. That meant he had to water the plants the next morning and wash the dishes during the evening. After completing his last math question, Roxas slammed his textbook shut. Then he packed away all of his school supplies and headed towards the bathroom for a nice shower.

The stubborn ring refused to leave Roxas' finger. It was practically glued to him. No matter how hard he tugged it wouldn't even budge. "I guess…I'll have to live with it." Everyone in the school was going to know that he was engaged to Kairi. Rumours often spread like wildfire, especially with gossipy students like Olette. Roxas was never going to hear the end of it.

When he finished his shower, he rushed down the stairs to get a drink and watch TV. When he reached the living room, he gasped quietly and retreated a few steps. Axel…he was sitting on the couch with a towel draped over his shoulders. A can of soda was in his left hand and the TV was on. There was laughter in the background and the blond immediately knew that Axel was watching the comedy network. Roxas had no idea why he was so nervous. Maybe he wasn't used to seeing Axel. It certainly wasn't the same as seeing Kairi, but he knew that Axel was a kind person. His heart was racing from anxiousness, but he couldn't slow it down…he didn't know how to. Carefully the blond poked his head out from his hiding spot to get a better glimpse of his fiancé. Unfortunately, Axel had sensed his presence. When Roxas was about to retreat, the redhead whispered, "Roxas?"

Now the blond couldn't even run back up because Axel knew he was there. Words were jammed in his throat and it took a lot of energy to even say, "H-hey…"

"Did you need something?" Axel wondered out loud, making the blond flinch defensively. There was a frown present on Axel's lips, but Roxas didn't take notice of it because his back was facing the redhead. He felt uneasy and his face was all red from…something. Roxas couldn't even figure out _what_. He felt strange inside, like his feelings were being mixed together in a cauldron. They swirled round and round until Roxas couldn't figure out what was what anymore. Why wasn't he like this when Kairi was around? Why was he acting so strangely?

"Wanna watch TV with me?" Axel offered quietly as he shifted over to make space for Roxas. The cushiony seat looked welcoming and comfortable, so the blond nodded.

"Y-yeah…" After mustering up enough courage, the blond stepped forward and took a seat next to Axel. When he was offered a can of soda, he accepted it with a meek smile. His hands were trembling and he pierced them with a glare, silently commanding them to stop, but nothing changed.

"Do you want me to leave?" And that was when Roxas stopped shaking. Axel had read him like a book. His eyes reflected his sadness. It was as though he was being completely rejected. When Roxas looked him in the eyes, he felt his heart beat twice as fast.

"Of course not." It was awkward, but Roxas had suddenly realized why he was quivering. He was afraid…afraid of liking a boy. There wasn't a moment in his life where he wanted to fall in love with a boy, it was always a girl. Roxas never went out on dates, but he did have crushes. And here Axel was; a perfectly nice boy who was willing to leave if it meant making him feel more secure. Roxas didn't want to run away from his fiancé. No, that was definitely wrong. As Cloud had said the other night, he had to at least try. And Roxas had made countless mistakes already, so he didn't want to risk making Axel sad again. "I-I'm sorry…this is still…new to me…I thought I would be all right with this—I thought I could reassure you…I'm sorry…"

Axel understood completely, which is why he nodded and shifted away, giving his fiancé more space to breathe. For some reason, Roxas wanted to pull him back, but he was out of reach now. _"He must hate me…"_ Those four words echoed in his head for ten minutes straight. The silence between him and Axel was deafening; both of the boys simply sipped their drinks and watched the comedy network. When one of the characters tripped over a ladle, Axel and Roxas both chuckled at how clumsy the boy was. However, their laughter only lasted so long because they still felt awkward around one another.

Roxas couldn't stand it any longer, though. It was his fault for making Axel feel bad about being in the living room. The blond coughed into his fist with hopes of drawing Axel's attention. "Y-you were a-amazing at the arcade today."

All Axel did was lean against the backrest of the couch and laugh. "Yeah, I don't lie about my awesome skills." With that said, Roxas chuckled and shifted towards his fiancé. It was the perfect chance for him to adjust. "You were pretty awesome yourself." The compliment made Roxas grin and blush at the same time. His friends had never really praised him before; they just called him a game addict. Even Hayner complained about the amount of money Roxas spent on House of the Dead Heartless. It was all such a waste of time and money in his opinion. "So…that Olette chick…are you two…you know?"

"No!" Roxas replied loudly, waving his hands wildly in the air, making soda spill from the opening of his can. As he stuttered his reply, Axel leapt towards the nearest table and fished up some tissue so he could clean the mess near Roxas. "I mean…I-I used to like her…u-until I saw Kairi. Olette has this _thing_ for me and everyone knows about it. She doesn't hide her feelings very well." With a sigh of relief, Axel eased his tense muscles and began sipping his drink again. The atmosphere wasn't very thick anymore, but it wasn't that light either. Roxas still felt apprehensive and Axel just didn't know what to say to help his fiancé relax.

Larxene approached the couple from the kitchen and gestured a thumb towards the sink. "Dishes." It wasn't necessary for her to say anymore because Roxas knew what she had meant. As he rolled his eyes, he hoisted himself from the seat and placed his can onto the nearest table.

"I'll help!" Axel hopped off the couch and turned the television off. He truly wanted to spend more time with his fiancé; it was the only way Axel could learn more about him.

Roxas shook his head and tried to push Axel back down, but the redhead was stubborn; he refused to return to his seat. "You're a guest, so you don't have to."

"I want to help. It's the least I can do since I _am_ a guest." Before Roxas could protest any further, Axel skipped into the kitchen, leaving the blond behind. When the redhead reached the sink, he twisted his body around and stuck his tongue out childishly, making Roxas snort. Water poured out of the faucet before the blond could even step into the kitchen. "I'll rinse!" That meant that Roxas had to do most of the cleaning. Axel was just going to be there beside him.

Before they began, Roxas slipped on a pair of gloves so he could protect the diamond ring. As they washed the dishes, the blond tried to relax his shoulders. He felt self-conscious standing next to Axel; they were so close and the redhead's body looked so warm.

The redhead tried to defeat the awkwardness between them by starting up a conversation about the Arc of Shadows. Excitement overcame Roxas' anxiousness as he started ranting about how amazing their last single was. He told Axel that he had to pre-order a copy because he knew the CD was going to sell out the first day. "Hardcore fan, huh?" Axel asked with a small chuckle.

"Yeah!" While Roxas was caught up in his excitement, Axel took the opportunity to press his hands together underwater. Before Roxas knew it, the redhead had squirted water at his forehead. "Hey!" The redhead squirted water again, hitting the same exact spot. A mischievous grin was visible on his face. "How'd you do that?"

"You have to press your hands together and aim them up this way. See, the water comes out right here." Axel demonstrated by cupping his hands together underwater. There was a tiny gap between them and that was where the water came out. When he hastily closed that gap, water shot up at Roxas forehead again.

With an irritated growl, the blond threw off his gloves and dipped his hands into the left sink, where Axel rinsed the dishes. Roxas squeezed his hands together, aimed quickly but carefully and shot his fiancé in the cheek. "Not bad." The redhead chose to retaliate by shooting water at the blond's forehead…again! The clear liquid slid down the boy's nose, making him scoff.

"Stop hitting that same spot!" Roxas squirted Axel's cheeks mercilessly, making the redhead turn away to defend himself.

"Hey, hey, you guys are going to make a mess." Reno clicked his tongue as he passed by. The two boys immediately stopped horsing around so they could return to their task. They didn't need an adult to nag them.

Silence lingered in the kitchen for several minutes and the two just smiled and cleaned the dirty plates. "That wasn't so bad…right?" Axel suddenly asked as he opened one of the cupboards.

Roxas paused and thought about how much fun he had just moments ago. He had completely disregarded his fears and just enjoyed the moment he had with Axel. It was strange how it just floated away from his mind, but he didn't deny the fact that he felt a little more relaxed. "Yeah…that was…that was pretty good." They both knew it was going to take time to adjust. Axel was still going to remain cursed for a while and Roxas had to learn to accept that. He realized that the redhead was actually quite fun—both Axel _and_ Kairi. _"They are the same."_ Slowly, Roxas let that sink into his mind…for real this time. He was going to engrave it.

So far, he liked Axel, but as a friend and nothing more. There was no romantic spark between them, and that was a natural thing. They had only known one another for a full day, but it wasn't so bad….it wasn't bad at all.

Really…it was just going to take time for them to get to know one another. About their pasts…about their interests…and about their fears. They just had to take it slowly. There was no rush—no one was telling them to get married as soon as possible. Axel didn't say it was necessary for the curse to break right away. Even **he** needed time to get to know Roxas more. Though Axel didn't admit it, he wanted to move forward slowly as well.

Baby steps…now **that** was a good idea.

...……………………………………………o…O…o………………………………………………...

**A/N:** Man, House of the Dead really empties the wallet. I remember playing it a few years ago…so frustrating since I'm not that great anyway. I thought I'd use it for fun in this chapter.

Anyway, if you guys have noticed, Roxas is here and there about Axel, meaning he's really unsure about how he feels. One moment he thinks he's okay with the idea of hanging out with Axel, the next moment he feels hesitant. Falling for a guy won't be easy anyway, especially since he's really edgy about it at the moment. But yeah…just thought I'd explain myself a little since I make Roxas jump back and forth from being confident to being scared. Sorry for the extremely late update…I hope this chapter was all right.

See you guys next time! Thanks for reading.

_Date posted: August 13th, 2008 _


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